Between Life And Death
by slickboy444
Summary: A mission gone horribly wrong leads Scott Summers to make the ultimate sacrifice to save his friends. But is he really dead? Or something more sinsiter going on? Jott, Kurtty, minor hints of others.
1. The Mission

**Between Life and Death  
Chapter 1: The Mission**

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AN: Hey everybody! Slickboy444 here with a new story for all you eager fanfiction fans! After my last story, the 40 chapter "Extermination," I have received so much wonderful feedback. I can't thank all those wonderful people who reviewed enough after reading a story of such length. I put a lot of effort into that long story and I plan to put just as much into this one as well, although I doubt it will be anywhere near the length of "Extermination." As always, before I begin I feel I must explain where this story came from and how I thought of it.

This story is another piece I have had in my head for quite some time now. I got the idea for it after reading a fic that was discontinued nearly 3 years ago called "Clean Slate." But I only really thought of a good way to go about writing this after my story "Sinister Secrets." Like my last fic, this story deals with death…But not in the same way. There is one big variation compared to the last story and you'll just have to read to find out! And pretty much every other X-men story I've written, this is a major Scott/Jean story. The setting is in the X-men: Evolution universe and is somewhat of an AU and it takes place about a year after the events of the final episode, "Ascension." And also like my last story, you'll notice a few characters are quite a bit different…But there are reasons for it, that I can assure you of! And one important thing I want to get out of the way is that there is NO PHOENIX in this fic. This story will have many new concepts in it and a few new dynamics that were never shown in X-men: Evolution, but I hope that you all like what I do since this story is nowhere near as radical as the last one I did…However, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't expect the unexpected from me! I hope that you will find this story interesting and enjoyable! Like all stories I write, I will put a lot of effort into this and I hope you all enjoy it!

Summery: After nearly a year of surviving Apocalypse, things have been looking up for the X-men. Then…One fateful day, a seemingly regular mission goes horribly wrong and Scott Summers makes the ultimate sacrifice to save his friends. His death brings forth overwhelming anguish among his friends…Especially from Jean Grey. However, is he really gone for good?

Pairings: Scott/Jean, Kurt/Kitty, Betsy/Warren, and maybe a little hint of Rogue/Remy.

Rating: PG-13 for issues of death and language.

AN: 'These mean character thoughts or psychic communication.'

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the X-men characters in any way, shape, or form. They are the property of Marvel, Stan Lee, and Jack Kirby. Having said that…Please don't sue, for I have nothing.

And like I do with all my fics, I urge each and every one of you to REVIEW! After you read a chapter, please tell me what you think! Send it to me via email or post it on the fanfiction website! Either way is fine! It really serves as good inspiration and motivates me to be a better writer! Remember, I am open to constructive criticism, but if you must flame me, please be considerate. This story won't have anywhere near the death "Extermination" had, but if anybody has any issues with it than please do so with conscious. Thank you all and just remember…REVIEW!

Also, before I begin I would like to send a special thanks to all the reviewers who have been so kind to me with my fics: Optic Red, Radnommarvelfan, Doza, SouthernRebelGal, Sentoris, Reddfire, Darkenss1, Extra2restrial, Agent-G, Quillian, Howlerdrode, The Uncanny R-Man, Wen1, Mrs. Jean Grey-Summers, Mark C, The Uncanny R-Man, X00001, Lil Jean, and especially Heartsyhawk (you rule my friend!).

Well, that's it! I hope you all enjoy the story! Now without further adieu, Slickboy444 proudly presents "Between Life and Death."

ENJOY!

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They sky was cloudy and dark as the early hours of the night began to set in over the vast landscape that was the Canadian wilderness. It was in an area not far from the boarder, but desolate none the less. The fields were too rough and rugged for farming and the only from of life that seemed prevalent were the tall deciduous trees. Normally, this serine, uninhabited land was quiet with crickets and wind being the only noise. But tonight…It was different.

In the sky overhead, the loud roar of an advanced jet engine echoed through the sky and caused the leaves on the trees to gently rustle in the gust that followed. This jet was the supposedly non-existent SR-77 Blackbird. If any normal person had seen it, they would have thought it to be something right out of science fiction. But it was there and it was real. As it streaked through the sky at speeds exceeding that of sound, the inhabitance of the plane sat in wait as they drew ever closer to their destination. They were mutants…Born with unique powers at birth. They included Scott Summers, Jean Grey, Kurt Wagner, Kitty Pryde, Bobby Drake, Ororo Munroe, Rogue, and Logan. They were the mutant peacekeeping force known as the X-men…A group of young, gifted individuals that swore to protect a world that both feared and hated them.

"Professor Xavier, we're nearing the target coordinates. I'm beginning the final decent," said Scott Summers, also known as Cyclops because of the visor he wore to control and contain his photo-concussive optic blasts.

"Good, you're right on target. The site I told you about should be coming into view any moment now," responded Professor Charles Xavier over a radio, who was monitoring the situation over a distance through the use of the psychic amplifying computer known as Cerebro.

"Explain it to me again Chuck…Why the hell are we bothering with this? Should it really take a team this big to investigate something we don't even know that much about?" said a gruff voice over the radio that Xavier quickly recognized as the ever strong, feral, and steadfast man known as Logan, aka Wolverine.

"This team of regulars is merely a preventative measure should this mission turn out to be more than it seems old friend," answered Xavier, "Given the information I received about your destination, I feel it would be best to play it safe, given our course of luck in the past."

"Yeah…That's another thing," added Logan, "You also didn't tell us a whole lot about this 'information' you received. And if we're gonna do this…Shouldn't we know all the facts?"

A brief moment of silence fell over the radio as Professor Xavier contemplated his response. Usually, Professor Xavier was not a man that needed to formulate words of such a nature, but this time it was different.

"You are absolutely right Logan," said the Professor, breaking the silence over the radio, "The information I received was a rather disturbing report and I didn't want to spark any confusion or speculation until I was sure of it. But I have uncovered that the data is valid and demands immediate attention."

"But just what exactly is so special about this place?" asked Jean Grey, the beautiful redheaded girl that had the power of telekinesis and telepathy.

"Well, to answer that, I'm sure you all remember the facility Logan investigated a year ago upon learning about Kurt's past," responded the Professor as the plane began to descend.

"You mean that castle turned laboratory?" asked Kurt "Nightcrawler" Wagner, a young mutant whose appearance was riddled with blue fur, a tail, and a slightly bent disposition.

"Yes, the very same," answered Xavier, "Even though it was destroyed, from what Logan described it sounded like a highly advanced research laboratory with mutants being the prime focus."

"So you think this may, like, have something to do with Kurt?" asked young Kitty "Shadowcat" Pryde, a traditional, upbeat valley girl with the mutant ability to walk through solid objects.

"I am not sure about anything other than the information I received hinted at the possibility of another advanced facility of the same nature," said the Professor, "And the only other types of facilities that could possibly come close to the one that was destroyed were those that Magneto used on Asteroid M."

"So could this mean that Magneto has returned?" asked Ororo "Storm" Munroe, a beautiful African woman with shining white hair and the mutant ability to control the weather around her.

"I'm afraid I don't know Storm. As you all probably know, Magneto and Mystique practically disappeared after the whole Apocalypse ordeal. While I have tried time and time again to surmise what happened to them, I have not at all been able to so much as learn their location other than the times Mystique stays at the Brotherhood house for brief periods."

"You think that maybe their up to no good again?" asked Bobby "Iceman" Drake, the newest member of the core team that had the power to create ice as his name suggested.

"I honestly don't think so Iceman," answered Xavier with confidence, "Mystique, Magneto, and the Brotherhood have not shown any hostility ever since Apocalypse. And knowing them, there would have been signs because of the nature of their plans. So far, there have been no such signs to my knowledge and this situation bears no hint of involvement from them."

"But how can you be sure of that?" asked Rogue in her southern accent.

"Call it a…Gut feeling, Rogue," said the Professor, "Having dealt with them in the past, my instinct simply tells me that they are not the culprits of this development."

"Then who do you think is?" asked Logan.

"That, my X-men, are what you are there to find out," said the Professor, "This information speaks of a facility in Canada of the same nature, if not far more advanced, as the one that was destroyed over a year ago. While I sensed no psychic activity in the area…I urge you all to be careful and find out whatever you can."

The radio then went silent as the rumble of the engines caused the inside of the advanced aircraft to shake and vibrate as it passed through a large cloud that hovered over the target area and descended towards the ground below.

"Okay everybody," said Scott as he flipped several control switches, "I'm taking her down."

As the plane lowered towards a clearing, their target destination came into sight. It seemed strange, but it was there in plain sight for all of them to see. It was a rather tall, multi-leveled facility that fed directly into the large hill behind it as it sat over a cliff that led down towards a brisk river. As they got a closer look, the saw that the structure was completely unlit, hinting that it was abandoned. The remoteness of this site seemed strange, for the only way to and from the facility was a small dirt road that didn't look like it had been used in quite a while.

"Professor, we're at the facility. We can see it and its right where the coordinates said it would be," said Scott over the radio as he maneuvered to land the plane a few miles down the dirt road that led to the building.

"Good…Then the information I received was valid," said Xavier as he kept watch over his beloved students via Cerebro.

The X-men then proceeded to file out of the jet and made their way towards the mysterious old building. It was a strange sight, but that only further prompted the need to investigate. Although from the looks of it, nothing seemed to threatening. Then again, that could have been the result of things being so quiet for the X-men as of lately. Ever since Magneto and Mystique disappeared, they hadn't had much worry about other than growing anti-mutant sentiment. However, that was a bit more manageable and didn't involve life-threatening risks. And from the looks of it, this place didn't seem to have any of those risks as well.

"So…Do you want to ring the bell? Or should I?" joked Bobby as they all took in the close up appearance of the facility.

"I don't know man," said Kurt as he looked at the fading outer walls, "I don't think anybody's home."

"Well I'm not sensing anything," said Jean with a hand on her temple as she tried to use her telepathy to see if there was a presence in the building.

"Nor am I Jean," said Professor over the communication pieces each X-man had in their ears, "But see if you can get in. If this facility is such a remote location, then it would probably be because it was hiding something."

"Hiding something?" said Kitty as she looked skeptically at the old, darkened building, "What could a place like this possibly have to hide?"

"Only one way to find out half pint," said Logan, "Come on. Let's check it out."

The ominous shadow that the building cast over them gave off somewhat of a creepy feel as if it were something out of a suspense movie. The closer they got to the entrance, the more the level of disrepair that the facility was in became clearer. The paint was old and chipping, the concrete around the area was dirty and unkempt, and the metal on the outside had rusted over. And in the minds of the small team of mutants, nothing looked all that threatening.

Then, with a snikt of his claws, Logan sliced through the front door and the X-men stood poised to enter.

"You know…That door might have been unlocked Logan," said Scott upon seeing his rather brash means of entrance.

"I guess we'll never know," smirked the Wolverine as everybody made their way inside.

The layout of the facility seemed like that of a regular laboratory. The halls led to different sectors and each sector had its specific function and purpose. However, it was hard to discern much else from this because of the pitch blackness caused by the lack of light. Jean tried to flip a nearby switch, but no lights came on.

"No electricity," said Jean as she tried some of the other switches, "No detectable presence…Professor, I think it's safe to say that this place is abandoned."

"Yuck…No argument here," said Kitty as she looked at the blackened, moldy walls and let out a light gag at the level of decay that everything seemed to be in.

Logan proceeded to sniff the air, trying to get a scent that might lead them all to something. But at the moment, all he could smell was rotting drywall, old chemicals, and cluster upon cluster of mildew and mold. So far, nothing seemed all that significant about this place, but it was still suspicious. Why was this building even here to begin with? Who built it and for what purpose? They were the questions that they were here to answer, but the size of the facility would not make that easy.

"This place is big," said Scott as they passed down the main hallway and arrived at a dividing intersection, "We better split up to cover more ground."

"Wait…Isn't that how scary movies usually start?" asked Bobby as he rubbed a spider web off of his uniform.

"If you don't quit with the jokes and take this seriously Drake, it'll turn into a slasher flick," grunted Logan in annoyance over Bobby's overt lack of seriousness over the mission.

The Iceman gulped and said nothing more, not wanting to provoke any more anger from the ever volatile Wolverine.

"And to think I begged to join the main team," muttered Bobby.

"Don't worry, ya tend to get use to it after a while," assured Rogue.

As Logan rolled his eyes in frustration, Scott stepped in.

"Come on guys, we have to keep moving. Bobby, Rogue…Go with Logan down the hall up ahead. Kurt, Kitty…Go with Ororo down the left hall. Jean and I will take this one."

"Ooh…Trying to sneak some alone time with Jean during a mission?" said Kitty under her breath to Kurt as they both let out a light laugh and made kissy faces at them.

Even during missions Kurt and Kitty still found time to poke fun at the two love birds, as they called them. Ever since Jean's breakup with Duncan a while back, she and Scott had been growing very close. Even after the events in Mexico when they actually kissed, they still wouldn't disclose the true details of their relationship. While part of that was because of their private nature, it did help to fuel the ever popular gossip that circulated about them since they seemed so drawn to each other from day one. All that was known was that they were dating now…And that was all they knew. But that didn't make the residents of the Xavier Institute any less curious about the young couple even though it was clear to all just how crazy they were for each other.

However, such thoughts were soon halted as Ororo beckoned Kurt and Kitty to follow her down one of the darkened halls.

"Come on you two," said Ororo, "Mission now…Flirt later."

This caused both young mutants to blush somewhat and provoked a smile from Ororo at the amusing sight. Not wanting to add insult to injury, they didn't say another word and simply refocused themselves on discovering what secrets this facility could possibly hold.

As each group continued their exploration, the sheer size of the building soon became apparent. The corridors and laboratories extended into the hills and several stories below. It had all the classic features of secret research facility…One that the public was not meant to know about. But there were still some inconsistencies that just didn't add up and as the deeper the team continued to explore, more and more questions just kept coming up.

"Professor, we're in some kind of archive," sent Scott over the radio as he and Jean entered a large room full of file cabinets and paper storage areas.

"Archive? Can you find anything useful about what the building was used for?" replied Xavier, still using Cerebro to monitor the situation.

Scott and Jean proceeded to open some of the storage cabinets, but it didn't look to promising. The locks had pretty much rusted away and everything they opened was full of nothing but dust. There were no documents, no records…Nothing.

"They're all empty," reported Jean as she went through several more empty storage bins, "Every record is gone, Professor."

"Every record?" said Xavier, finding this development all the more mysterious.

"From what we can tell…Yes," confirmed Scott, "I don't even see any government logos, name brand equipment, or hints of an accident. It was as if whoever was here simply picked up and left, not leaving a single trace of what was going on here."

"All the more reason to assume that it was something that the rest of the world was not meant to see," concluded the Professor, "Keep looking…Try and find whatever you can. I have a bad feeling about this."

For his two eldest students, that was enough for them. Professor Xavier's hunches always had some truth to them, but it was never certain what they could lead to. The only way for them to find out was to discover it on their own.

The radio fell silent again as the three sub-groups continued their search. But the longer they searched, the more puzzling everything seemed. The Professor still couldn't sense anything there. There were no hints of foul play, no signs of an accident or a struggle, or even any hint of the kind or research that was being done there. But for such an elaborate facility to be constructed, it had to have some purpose. Otherwise, why would it have been abandoned?

"Dude, this is getting creepy," said Kurt as he, Kitty, and Ororo entered what looked like computer server rooms.

"I know…I think Bobby was right about this place feeling like a horror movie," said Kitty in agreement, "I can't help but think that flesh eating zombies are going to pop out at any minute."

"Hey…Given our line of vork, that's not outside the realm of possibility," said Kurt.

Ororo proceeded to look at the dusty computer hardware. While she didn't know a great deal about computers, she knew that both Kurt and Kitty were fairly knowledgeable. But the problem was that even they were perplexed by what they were seeing as they attempted to open up the servers in search of more clues.

"Professor, this is, like, getting too weird," said Kitty over the radio, "These servers look pretty expensive, but all the hard drives are gone."

"Hmm…Just like the archives," mused the Professor, "If there are servers there, then it's logical to assume that there was a large array of data that needed processing. Exactly how many are there?"

Ororo did a quick count.

"I count about…50."

"50?" said the Professor in mild shock, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, why?" asked Ororo.

"So many servers…That could only mean that the experiments that were done here were very complex," said the Professor, "Only experiments yielding enormous amounts of data, variables, and storage would require such computing power. Even the most advanced experiments that I know of needed no more than 25 to 30 servers. But 50? Something was definitely going on there. You must find more."

"Right," said Ororo, "Come on you two, let's keep looking."

There still wasn't a whole lot to work with, but from simple observation of this strange laboratory the Professor had already come to some rather mysterious conclusions. The work done here must have been big…Otherwise it wouldn't have been so hidden or needed so much computing power. The secrecy of this building was also a rather disturbing aspect because it would also be logical that if it was so hidden, then the work done here might have been illegal.

As the Professor considered the possibilities, he heard another voice over the communications link.

"Prof…I think we found something," said Logan's voice as he, Bobby, and Rogue reached what seemed to be the central laboratory and experimentation center.

"Go ahead Wolverine, what did you find?" asked the Professor, keeping a close psychic eye over the area just in case.

"I ain't an expert…But I think we're in some kind of testing room," reported Logan.

"What kind of testing?"

"Genetic from the looks of it. Believe me…I know the signs," grunted Logan, speaking from his experience of the weapon X project.

"Genetic…That would explain the need for such large servers in such great quantities," deduced the Professor.

While Xavier considered the implications, both Iceman and Rogue marveled at the layout of the room.

"Man, this stuff looks pretty advanced," said Bobby as he looked at several strange aging bio tanks, "I don't remember ever seeing this on the Science Channel."

"Since when did you ever watch that stuff anyways?" scoffed Rogue as she looked at some of the tools, "But you're right about the advanced part. I'd bet Beast would have a field day if he were here."

"Yeah, too bad he got stuck looking after all the underclassmen," said Bobby as he ran his hands over the dusty components.

While Bobby and Rogue explored deeper, Logan felt an ominous sensation in his mind as he looked around at an all too familiar sight. He was once a test subject of a heinous science experiment and it left him forever changed both mentally and physically. Because of that experiment, he had adamantium bones and a huge gap of his memory missing. Being in a place like this was far from pleasant for him as he continued to sniff the air for any further clues. But the deeper they dug, the more mysterious this place became.

"Chuck, I can't smell anything except dust. There's no damage to the place, no records, not even a drop of blood," reported Logan.

"But why would it be abandoned then?" asked Rogue, "And why keep a place like this so secret."

"Probably because whatever they were doing here must have been far from ethical," assumed Logan as he kept trying to find a scent other than mildew and gas.

"Which is why you must keep looking," said Xavier over the com link, "This information must have been given to us for a reason."

"Just where did you get this 'information' in the first place Chuck?" asked Logan as he looked at the rusting bio tanks.

There was a brief silence over the line as the Professor seemed to struggle with an answer that usually wouldn't have required a second thought.

"It was an anonymous tip," he finally said.

"Anonymous tip?" said Logan, sounding quite surprised, "You've never trusted those! Why start now?"

"Normally I wouldn't…" replied Xavier, "But when I checked the coordinates that it had and cross referenced information about the area, I came across major inconsistencies that couldn't have been mere coincidences. The secrecy, the terrain, the map descriptions…It seemed too detailed."

"Well what else did it say?" asked Logan, still not liking this one bit.

"Not much, it simply said that there was a highly advanced facility here…One that was heavily focused on mutants. Other than that, it said nothing more."

"Well from what I can see, I wouldn't doubt that mutants were a part of the show here," responded Logan, "But why anonymous? Who would want us to know about this?"

"Someone who may feel that they are taking a great risk by letting us know this," said Xavier, "The level of encryption that the message used was very advanced, so we can only assume that whoever sent it didn't want risk exposing themselves to anyone else except us."

"I still don't like it…" said Logan with a grunt as he and the two younger students continued their search.

Each group kept on digging deeper in their respective areas. But this strange facility seemed to refuse to give up its secrets as nothing concrete about the nature of this strange laboratory. Scott and Jean kept trying to find something in the archives, but everywhere they looked, they were only met with emptiness and dust. Ororo, Kurt, and Kitty kept searching the server room for any possible computer data, but everything looked as though it was wiped clean of any possible information. Logan, Bobby, and Rogue kept searching the lab area, but nothing came up. There were no traces of the kind of chemicals that were used, what data was recorded, or even what kinds of experiments were done. The darkened facility truly seemed like a ghost given such mystery.

"Chuck, I don't think there's anything else in here to find," said Logan over the radio, not smelling anything useful.

"Yeah, I think somebody sent us all on a wild goose chase," said Bobby, who was all too ready to leave this creepy facility.

"Don't assume the simplest explanation Iceman," said Xavier over the radio, "Something was definitely going on in this facility. But whoever was behind it simply picked up and left upon going to great lengths in order to not leave any possible information about the experiments intact."

"So what do we do now?" asked Rogue.

"Check and see if there are any other lab areas," said the Professor, "Given the size of the building, there must be more."

"Hell, that could take all night," said Bobby.

"Well you did wanna come on this mission icecube," said Logan, "But if we're gonna search the whole place, we'd better get started. Come on you two, let's go find the others."

"Right," said Rogue as she and Bobby turned back towards the exit.

Then suddenly…Just as Logan was about to head out as well, something caught his eye and he froze in his place.

"Logan?" said Rogue, upon seeing his sudden change in demeanor.

The feral mutant didn't respond as he simply turned away from the exit and walked back over towards the old, dusty control terminals from where the experiments must have been controlled. Both Iceman and Rogue quickly followed, thinking that maybe he found something major that would shed some light on this strange place. But as they soon saw what had caught his attention, that prospect didn't seem nearly as possible.

Upon the terminal, a single red light was flashing no bigger than a dime. It didn't seem like much, but to Logan it was enough to draw his attention.

"Chuck…I thought we determined that this place had no electricity," said Logan over his com link.

"Yes we did," replied the Professor, "Why? What did you find?"

Logan didn't reply as he and the two students standing besides him simply looked at the blinking red light, not knowing what it meant or if it was something to be worried about.

"Okay…Am I the only one creeped out by this?" said Bobby, breaking the silence.

"I don't think so," answered Rogue, "Was that light flashin' when se came in?"

"Nope…I would've seen it beforehand," said Logan, not liking where this was going one bit.

"Did we trip an alarm or something?" asked Bobby as he began scanning the area for any signs of a laser barrier or camera.

"Nope…I would've smelled the ozone," said Logan, ruling that possibility out as well, only making things seem all the more ominous.

"But what does it mean?" asked Rogue.

Then suddenly…Before anybody could answer her, a loud alarm went off and a high pitched noise echoed all throughout the building. For the other two teams, it was a very startling development, but it was one that provoked an immediate sense of urgency.

"Woverine! Cyclops! Storm! What's going on?" said Xavier hearing the alarms over the link and sensing a great deal of anxiety among his team.

"Chuck…I think we have a problem," said Logan as lights all over the facility suddenly came to life.

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AN: Well, what do you think? I know it's sort of an ambiguous point to end it at, but trust me…There's more to come! The action, drama, and angst has just begun! There's plenty of complications ahead, but I don't want to give it all away just yet! You'll all have to stay tuned and see for yourself! In the meantime, please tell me what you think of the beginning of this new story! I would love to know! Do you want to read more? Do you want to know where I'm going with this? Tell me! Send me your feedback via email or post it on the fanfiction website! Thanks for reading and stay tuned for the every growing plot to unfold! Until next time, I wish you all the best!

IT HAS BEGUN! REVIEW!


	2. The Tragedy

**Between Life and Death  
Chapter 2: The Tragedy**

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Wow, this story is off to a good start review wise! Thanks everybody! Trust me, this fic is just beginning and the big stuff is yet to come! But before that begins, a few quick words to the kind people who reviewed.

**Heartsyhawk: **I'm glad I'm still able to entice you with another one of my stories following something as big as "Extermination." And trust me, this story is going to be full of twists, turns, and suspense and it starts with this very important chapter! I know I say this a lot, but you are a great inspiration to me and my work my friend. Your kind reviews are so inspiring to me and I can't thank you enough! I hope you enjoy this story as much as you did my last one! Thanks again my friend! Peace out!  
**Tim Digidestined Of Loyalty: **Glad I was able to brighten your day my friend! Sorry you had to get such a horrible email. As for the offer, I am not currently planning to use such characters with the many stories I have planned after this one, but thanks anyways!  
**Agent-G: **I'm glad you like the way I started this story my friend and rest assured, things are going to start to get interesting with this chapter! It's just beginning my friend and things will definitely take a step up in terms of intensity! Xavier may be naïve, but when he gets a gut feeling about something, he doesn't let it pass him by. You'll see just where that leads with this chapter! Thanks a lot for the nice review my friend! It's always great hearing from you! I hope you like where this story goes and thanks again for all your support buddy! You rock! Peace out!  
**KSimonT-X: **What can I say my friend? I just have way too many ideas and too little time to write them all down! I hope you like where I take this fic and thanks a lot for all the wonderful support you've given me my friend! Peace out!  
**Darkness1: **You're right, I am a man of my word. It's been so long since I've done a Kurtty and I know I'm due. They'll have some serious parts in this fic, but that comes a little later! As for the back drop, I guess that happens after playing Resident Evil 4 too much…Oh well, whatever works! I hope you like where I take this because it's going to get intense! Thanks as always for your kind words old friend! You totally rule dude!  
**Diaz F: **Hey! Great to hear from you again my friend! I hope you like this story because it's going to be quite a ride! As for your question about Evan, this takes place after the last episode, so he's with the Morlocks now. I chose Bobby to take his place because that's how it was in the final image in the last episode. I hope you like where I take this and it's great to hear from you again! Peace out!  
**The Uncanny R-Man: **Hey R-man! Always great to hear from you! I don't know if you caught it last chapter, but I thanked you twice at the beginning…Oh well! I'm too lazy to fix it! I hope you like where I take this story! It involves a lot more characters than the last one so I hope you enjoy it! Thanks a lot for the review R-man! You rock! Peace!  
**Sentoris: **Hey! Always wonderful hearing from you my friend! If you like stories like my old "Chosen One" series, then I think you're going to love this one! It's a bit different, but I hope you like it anyhow! I put so much effort into making my stories great and it means a lot to me that you praise them so much my friend. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the sentiment you give me and I sincerely hope you enjoy reading this fic my friend! You rock! Peace out!  
**Jenskott: **Sorry, but I don't think I'll be doing another comic fixer for a while. However, I do have plans for the comic world, so don't think that's out of the question my friend! I'm honored you think so highly of my storytelling. It serves as a great inspiration because that is in essence what I seek to do with each fic I create. I hope you enjoy this fic and where it goes and thank you for your kind review!  
**Simba317: **Wow…You know how to give one hell of a review my friend! Reviews like yours are always such an incredible joy to read and I can't thank you enough for taking the time to write them! I'm glad you like the way I portray characters. If you read my profile, you know I have a strong anti character-bashing stance and I seek to make sure that I write the characters in my fic as balanced as possible. And yes…I do have plans for a little Romyness! This fic is certainly no exception and I will seek to do just that with everyone I describe, so I hope you enjoy it! I hope you enjoy this fic and where it goes and I thank you once again for your wonderful review!

Also, a special thanks to: **Qullian, Reality Bender, Ingrid, Wen1, X00001, GothikStrawberry, Mark C, Randommarvelfan.**

**Also, I have a fic that I'm co-authoring with Agent-G called "Hellfire and Brimstone." It's got Jott, Romy, Wandurt, Kiotr, Loro, and plenty more! Please read and review it! Also, I have another ongoing fic on the adultfanfiction website, so if you want to, go to my profile and check that out as well! And don't forget to review!**

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A series of powerful explosions had suddenly rocked the whole structure, causing it to shake as if it were in an earthquake. Throughout the halls and rooms, hidden incendiaries went off and quickly spread fire all over the old, dusty facility. The structural supports were blown to pieces by strong blasts of explosives that only compounded the shaking, causing several major areas of the ceiling to collapse.

Over in the archives, both Scott and Jean had been knocked off their feet by the sudden explosion and they both struggled to get up as parts of the ceiling began to collapse. Their uniforms were partially torn by the blast, but luckily they sustained no serious injuries.

"Come on! We have to find the others and get out of here!" said Scott as he helped Jean up.

"Right! Let's go before this room collapses!" said Jean as they both regained their composure and prepared to make a break for the exit.

But before they could take two more steps, another part of the ceiling suddenly collapsed and hit Jean on the head nearly knocking her out. Scott, upon seeing this, quickly went to his girlfriend's side.

"Jean!" he yelled, throwing the debris off her and lifting her back to her feet.

She groaned in response, letting him know that she was still conscious despite the blow. But the injury would only make things difficult for them if they were to escape.

'It's okay Jean,' sent Scott through the psychic link they shared, 'It's going to be okay. I'll get you out of here…I promise.'

Hitching one of her arms around his neck, Scott quickly began to lead Jean out of the archives. He could feel that she was still conscious, but her head was still reeling from the blow, making her powers unusable. Fire now illuminated the halls and more sections of ceiling began to collapse and form piles of rubble to block their path. However, thanks to Scott's optic blasts, the debris was blown away and the path, fire laden as it may be, was still open to them.

Over with Ororo, Kurt, and Kitty the sudden sound of the alarm had been equally shocking to them. The server room was probably the least flammable compared to the others, but that did little as the integrity of the worn ceiling was shattered by the shockwave of the blasts.

"What happened!" yelled Kitty over the loud rumbles caused by the explosions.

"I'm not sure, but I think its best that we not stick around to find out!" said Ororo as she got out of the way of more collapsed ceiling, "Kurt, get us out of here!"

"I'm on it!" said the blue mutant.

However, just as Kurt prepared to help his friends escape, another charge of powerful explosives rocked the area round them and Kurt was blown back and slammed against an empty server by the force of the explosion, knocking him out cold in the process.

"NO! KURT!" yelled Kitty as she and Ororo quickly ran to his side.

Kitty feverishly tried to see if he was still alive, but her hysterical state did little to help. However, Ororo managed to stay calmer than the young valley girl and soon felt a strong pulse, allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief.

"It's okay…He's alive. But he's out cold," said Ororo as fires began to spread around them.

"Good! Then let's get him out of here!" urged Kitty as helped Ororo bring Kurt to his feet.

Soon, the two women found themselves navigating the winding corridors once again. And like Scott and Jean, debris formed formidable barriers that would have trapped normal human beings and left them to die. But thanks to Kitty's phasing powers, no barrier stood in their way and they were able to work their way back through the maze-like halls of the laboratory as the noise of the structure failing under its own wait began to grow all the more disconcerting.

Over with Logan, Rogue, and Bobby the flames were spreading far more quickly due to the high concentration of old gasoline in and around the areas. But thankfully the walls and ceiling were more structurally sound and Bobby's ice powers helped put out the flames that stood in the way. But the structure of the whole facility was still collapsing fire or no fire. Whoever planted the explosives knew to plant them in the areas that would cripple the whole buildings key support points so that there would be nothing left to save the mysterious building.

"Come on Iceman, get a move on!" yelled Logan as he saw Bobby lagging behind them as they made their way through the corridors.

Iceman was still using his powers to desperately try and stop the spread of the fire, but in doing so it slowed him down as the ceiling and walls began to buckle and collapse around him. And no matter what he tried, the new fires kept popping every time he put one out. There was just too much old gas and chemicals to contain it, so the best he could do was slow it down.

"Iceman let's go!" urged Rogue as more ceiling collapsed near them and the floors began shaking again from deeper explosions within the lower levels.

"You don't need to tell me twice!" said Bobby as he put one last fire out before running with all his might to catch up with his friends.

However, just as he was within ten feet of them, a huge chunk of debris from the ceiling and the floors above feel right between the area separating him from Logan and Rogue. Bobby was forced to jump back to avoid being crushed, but in doing so, trapped himself behind a thick layer of rubble with the advancing fires behind him.

"Shit!" cursed Logan as he whipped out his adamantium claws and began trying to tear through the rubble to get back to the young man.

However, the debris was too loose and coarse and Rogue began to panic as more fires broke out and more smoke began to choke the air around them.

"Logan!" came a voice from behind them.

However, this didn't seem to stop him from trying to tear through the debris. But Rogue quickly responded.

"Cyclops! Over here!" she yelled, hoping to get as much help as possible to get Bobby out.

The two other groups had converged and quickly followed the source of Rogue's voice through the thick smoke to the area not far from the three way path where they had split earlier. Kurt was still out and Jean was close behind because of all the smoke. Kitty too seemed nearly incapacitated as a result of using her powers so much and inhaling so much smoke. Ororo had tried to use her wind powers to clear the air, but that did nothing more than fan the flames. Overall, it was clear now that escape was their only option with two injured teammates and one trapped behind rubble.

"Rogue! Logan!" said Ororo as she saw the situation, "Where's Bobby?"

"Where do ya think!" said Logan as he kept trying to cut through the debris with little luck even as the flames around him grew stronger.

"You've gotta…Be kidding me!" said Kitty between coughs as she struggled to breath.

"Don't talk Kitty…" coaxed Ororo as she saw her nearly keel over from a coughing fit, "We'll be out of here soon."

"Not without Bobby!" said Scott as he stepped forth besides Logan.

"Wolverine, take Jean and the others and get them out of here! I'll get Bobby out!" ordered Scott.

"No way Cyke! I ain't leavin' without Iceman!" grunted Logan in defiance.

"I'll get him out! The more people that stay behind, the greater the risks! And I'm not taking a chance here!" said Scott as he shoved Jean into the powerful mutant's arms, "Go now!"

Logan still hesitated, but he didn't argue any further as he saw Jean and Kurt's condition and heard Kitty go through another coughing fit due to excessive smoke inhalation.

"Okay Cyke…But hurry! This place is gonna collapse soon!"

Logan then rushed back through the halls as he led the others to the exit. Rogue was forced to help Kitty as she began to cough more from the excessive smoke inhalation she had taken down the halls she, Ororo, and Kurt had come out of. This left only Scott to stay back and deal with the trapped Bobby Drake.

"Bobby! Can you hear me!" yelled Scott through the debris.

Bobby was still trapped on the other side trying to put out fires with his powers, but the smoke was starting to get to him and the heat was weakening him.

"Yeah!" he managed to answer through the loud rumbling of the structure.

"Well stand back! I'm gonna blast my way through!" said Scott as he adjusted the power setting on his visor to the max level, "Get down and brace yourself Iceman!"

Bobby quickly took cover off to the side and got down as more smoke filled his lungs. Then…With a deafening blast, the large pile of debris was blown away and a huge opening was formed. Scott quickly made his way through and over towards the weakened Iceman as the fires quickly melted away every bit of ice he had laced his body with. The heat along with the smoke made him very weak, but Scott would not leave anyone behind on this mission.

"Come on Bobby. Let's get you out of here," said Scott as he helped Bobby up to his feet.

But just as they seemed ready to make their exit, another huge explosion destroyed their path of escape and now an even thicker layer of debris stood in their way as Scott let out a frustrated grunt over the smoke and began trying to blast his way through.

Outside with the others, everybody watched anxiously as fires erupted from all floors of the facility and parts of the top began to collapse. The whole area around them began to shake violently as a result of the ensuing explosions as more detonations echoed through the air. However, there was no sign of Bobby or Scott and their chances grew worse and worse as they saw more parts of the building collapse.

"X-men!" said Xavier over the radio as he sensed a great deal of distress, "Is everybody okay?"

"Cyclops and Iceman are still in there!" yell Logan, who wanted to run back in there and get them himself if the entrance hadn't been destroyed, "We have to go back!"

"But how?" said Ororo as she saw more parts of the structure collapse.

"I know a vay…" said a weak voice.

Everybody then turned to see a groaning Kurt as he regained consciousness and was able to stand up under his own power.

"Kurt!" said Kitty in relief as she saw him awake, even though he still looked somewhat shaky.

"I'm going back in to get them…" said Kurt.

"No way elf! You're too weak! You'll pass out after five seconds!" said Logan as he saw the elf's weary form.

"Then I'll just have to do it in four…"

Before anything else could be said, Kurt had disappeared in a puff of smoke. Now, there were three friends in the collapsing building and all they could do now is watch and wait.

As soon as Kurt appeared back near the area where Bobby had been trapped, he was horrified to see the fires growing even bigger as they engulfed practically every place around him. His head was still reeling and his body was still weak, but that didn't stop him from searching for his friends. He knew time was short and his strength was being stretched to the limit, but he never once considered leaving.

'Come on Kurt,' he told himself, 'Just hold on…Don't pass out. Vhatever you do…Don't pass out.'

Then, despite the smoke and sharp pain in his head, Kurt heard a voice through the thick smoke.

"Kurt!" yelled Scott as he made his way over to his blue friend with a weakened Bobby beside him, "Thank God you're here! You have to get Bobby out! The heat from the fire is weakening him!"

Kurt was still wobbly and Scott could tell. But right now, he was Bobby's only hope and the threat to his own life didn't seem to concern him in the slightest.

"But vhat about you?" said Kurt as he began to cough through the smoke.

"You'll have to come back for me!" said Scott, "If you try two at a time in your state, we might not make it! Hurry Kurt! Don't argue, just get him out of here! I'll be okay!"

Kurt was starting to black out, but he still had the strength for a quick port back outside. However, he knew that Scott was right when he said that he didn't have the capacity for two. The more people he teleported, the greater the strain on his body and mind. And right now, he couldn't afford to pass out or get them only halfway out with a weak port. While he still didn't want to leave his friend behind, Scott didn't look as though he was going to let Kurt risk his own life by pushing himself any further.

"Kurt…Go," urged Scott.

Knowing time was up for debate, Kurt did as he was told and gritted his teeth in determination as he took Bobby's hand and teleported him out of the building…Leaving only Scott behind.

Outside, upon Kurt's reappearance, everybody rushed over to see if everybody had gotten out. Kurt nearly passed out again and fell back into Kitty's arms as Ororo quickly tended to Bobby. But there was just one problem…There was no Scott.

"Elf! Where's Cyke?" yelled the Wolverine.

This seemed to stir Jean out of her state upon hearing him mention Scott. Her head was still reeling, but she was still strong enough to search through their link. As she opened her eyes she found herself still in Logan's arms, but from what she could sense…Scott wasn't there. The Wolverine was surprised by the sudden movement as Jean fought her way back to her feet and began limping back towards the crippled building.

"Jean wait!" urged Ororo as she and Logan went to stop her from going back.

Back inside the building, the final seconds were fast approaching as the noise of the supports to the building were quickly eroding and the final struts threatened to collapse. Scott was fighting the heat, smoke, and falling debris as his uniform became all the more torn by the struggle. The strength that had led him to get his friends and family out was quickly beginning to wane and he could hear the whole structure around him beginning to collapse. As a boy, he had fought off death before when he and his little brother jumped out of a burning plane together in the cold skies over Alaska one fateful night over ten years ago. That night, he lost his parents and for many years thought he had lost his brother as well. The years after that were among the hardest of his life…But he had fought through them. He had faced death way more than he cared to remember and this was no different. So many times he felt his life flash before his eyes, but each time he managed to fight it off. However…The longer he stayed in this structure, the worse his chances were. He felt himself on the verge of collapsing. But then…Through a warm feeling in his head, he felt his link with Jean grow as she woke up. That meant that she was alive and well…And she would survive. It was a comforting thought as the building around him began to collapse. He tried to tell himself that Kurt would appear any second to get him out…But somehow in the back of his mind he knew…He was going to die. His friends were going to live on…But he was not. He had lived a very hard life…But he had done something in the end to be proud of. He had saved his friends and the woman he loved. As his thoughts drifted back to Jean…He sent one last message of his great love for her.

'Jean…' he sent weakly through his mind, 'I'll always…Love you.'

Then, suddenly the whole area around him collapsed and Scott Summers then felt himself get hit by a powerful force. Finally…Everything went black.

Back at the mansion, Professor Charles Xavier let out a pained yell that echoed through Cerebro and caused him to keel over to the side and fall of his wheelchair as the pain surged through his head.

Outside…Just as Logan and Ororo were about to reach Jean, the young redhead suddenly let out an agonizing scream as she clutched her head in pain. Everybody present seemed drawn to this as they heard Jean let out a cry of great pain into the night as she fell to the ground in a heap of tears and began sobbing uncontrollably.

"Jean!" yelled Logan as he and Ororo rushed to the side of the young woman that they had helped teach and raise since she was only 12 years old.

But their voices did not register…For all she could feel was pain…Horrible, terrible pain unlike anything she had ever felt before. The warm feeling in her head…The link she had shared with Scott…Had been suddenly severed in a horribly painful surge that felt as though somebody had ripped a part of her very being from her.

Then…The whole structure exploded in a huge fireball that rose hundreds of feet into the air and everybody watched in horror as it soon became clear as to why Jean was in such pain. At first, it didn't truly register…Until Jean let out a meek, yet audible response that confirmed what they all knew was true…But didn't want to believe.

"He's dead…Scott's dead."

The blast from the explosion had rocked the entire area. The old laboratory was now nothing more than a blazing fireball in a smoking crater. There was nothing left of it now…Everything inside had been incinerated. And for the X-men, their friend and leader, Scott Summers, had still been in there during that fateful moment.

Everybody was now in such a grave state of shock that they simply stood there on the cold field in the valley as still as statues. The huge explosion that blew the building to bits had taken their friend with it. Everything had happened so fast…It had all gone so horribly wrong. And the words of Jean Grey, the girl who had been Scott's closest friend and lover, only served to confirm what they all feared.

"He's dead…" she said again in a pained voice that was barely audible, "Scott's dead."

The shock was just too great for any of them to process. Kitty, despite the effects of smoke inhalation, simply covered her mouth in shock and keeled over in a heap of tears. Kurt was right next to her and he tried to support her, but his injuries and his own grief just wouldn't allow him. For Bobby, he had never experienced the death of a friend before quite like this. Scott had saved his life at the expense of his own. He made the ultimate sacrifice for him and for Kurt. Now, a hard lump was forming in his throat as painful tears streamed down his face while his mind kept struggling to process the fact that Scott was gone…And he had been one of the last to see his face. For Rogue, she had always been one to keep her emotions hidden because of her introverted nature, but in learning that Scott, the friend that had helped influence her to join the institute in the first place, was dead…She just couldn't hold her emotions back anymore. Like the others, she began to sob uncontrollably as her body stood frozen at the sight of the destroyed building that had taken Scott away from them.

It was no easier for the elders as they tried to process what had just happened. Ororo was already bursting with tears, for she felt as though she had just lost one of her own children. Both she and Logan had helped raise Scott since he was only 12 years old. He was the first student at the institute and he grew into such a strong young man with endless potential for his future. But in the span of a fraction of a second…He was gone…Taken away from this world in the blink of an eye. Even Logan, the most stoic of the group, couldn't believe it. He had seen a lot of death in his life, but this hit him in a way no other loss ever had. Having lost a great deal of his memories, he had always worked to make better new ones as an X-man and an instructor at the institute. Scott had been his first attempt at helping mutant children…And that simple experience changed his life forever. Now, that one child that had grown to be so strong…Was dead. And such a feeling hurt in a way that neither Logan nor Ororo could put into words.

"No…" said Ororo as she covered her mouth in shock, "Scott…"

"This…This isn't happening," said Rogue, trying to convince herself that this was all a bad dream that she would wake up from at any moment.

These words of shock and grief did not even register for Jean Grey, who was by far the worst. She was still collapsed on the cold, hard ground sobbing uncontrollably from what she had just felt. To her, Scott Summers had been more than just a friend…A lot more. He was the boy that helped save her when she came to the institute scared and confused about what she was becoming. He was the boy who had always been there for her no matter how bad things got. From the time her powers went crazy to the time she thought the Professor had been killed…He had been there for her to help her through every tough moment she faced. He was the boy she had fallen in love with. She had known it for years…But it had taken her so long to fully realize it. Their love was strong…Very strong. They shared a powerful bond that few others ever hoped to experience or understand. It was a bond that she had treasured…It was a bond that had given her comfort and warmth when she needed it. But now it was gone…Now she couldn't feel anything left of Scott in her mind. She felt so empty inside…So cold. She had just lost the love of her life and the pain was simply too great for her to describe.

'Scott…Please…Answer me,' she sent through the empty link, desperately trying to find any trace of him even though she knew in her mind that all was lost, 'Scott…Don't leave me. Please don't leave me. Please…'

She was practically begging now. She was pleading with whatever higher force there was not to take Scott away from her and his friends. But no matter how much she begged or how hard she cried…Nobody answered. There was nothing but silence. The only thing that she heard in her head was the echo of the last thing Scott had sent her through their link, 'I'll always love you.'

As the smoke and fire began to wane over near ground zero, nothing was left except a smoking crater. Whatever fragile hope that had remained was completely shattered now…They knew that there was no hope left for Scott Summers. He had died saving them. He had made the ultimate sacrifice. And no matter how hard it was for the friends that he had considered nothing short of family…It could not be undone.

"No…No…" sobbed Jean, unable to say anything else as her ability to form words quickly degraded.

Both Ororo and Logan couldn't stand to see her like this…For they had raised her almost as long as they had raised Scott. From the young girl they first took in to the young woman that was now before them…They had never seen her in such pain. It was almost too hard for them to watch, but they knew they had to help her.

"Come on Jeannie…Let's go," said Logan in a soft voice as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

However, this gesture didn't seem to register with the young redhead. It was as if her mind was too shocked and hurt to sense anything. But she had just felt the man she loved die in her head…She had felt him the moment he was killed. It had left her in a deep state of disbelief and pain.

Seeing her like this was almost too much for the two teachers that were still reeling from this great tragedy helped her up. She was still crying and sobbing uncontrollably, but they managed to bring her to her feet as they slowly made their way back to the waiting X-jet.

The others remained in a state of shock and were still unable to move or process what had just happened. They were all still young and they had never faced something quite like this before. To see a friend that they all held so dear give his life to save theirs…Was just something that they couldn't get over. They may have teased Scott about being uptight, anxious, and somewhat stiff…But he was a young man of honor that had been willing to sacrifice his life to save those he cared about. Now, the pain of the minor injuries that they had sustained in their escape now paled in comparison to what they were feeling now as they looked back at the decimated area.

"He's gone…He's really gone," said Bobby as he now felt colder than he ever had before in his life.

"He died saving us…" struggled Kurt, fighting off the pain of his injuries and his exhaustion, "He didn't even care about his own life…All he did was fight to save us."

More tears were shed by all of them as they remembered those fateful moments that had come and gone so fast. Now, they were forever engraved into their memories. If it had been anyone else…It wouldn't have been this hard. Scott was their leader, their friend, and a role model. To lose him was to lose a big part of the team. But the state of the team was far from their minds now as the loss of their friend remained the only thought in their minds.

The friends and teammates that had known Scott Summers could've stayed in their current position for hours on end and still not fully process what had just happened. But some of them needed medical treatment and no amount of loss or tears could change what had just transpired.

"Guys…" said Logan as he let Ororo lead Jean the rest of the way into the jet, "Come on…Let's go."

Logan's gruff, yet solemn voice helped snap them out of their daze as they all swallowed hard and turned away from the devastated area. But before each on of the traumatized X-men turned to leave this horrible area that had taken away one of their best friends…They all took their time to say goodbye.

Kurt and Kitty were still leaning on each other for support as they struggled back to the X-jet. Rogue soon came up beside them and guided them both as the two younger mutants struggled with their injuries and their grief. Bobby was the last one, taking slightly longer to say goodbye since he had been one of the last person to see Scott Summers alive…And he had survived because of his sacrifice.

On the X-jet, the silence was almost too grave to describe with words. Only the sound of sobs and the smell of tears permeated now. There was still smoke rising up from the crater where the building had once been. Now because of it, they had lost one of their own and it would take quite a while to recover from it.

As Logan took the pilot seat that Scott had sat in less than an hour before, everyone took one last look at the site where their leader had made the ultimate sacrifice for them.

"So long Cyke…We'll miss ya," said Logan, being the only one strong enough to speak, "Thanks for everything you did…And we'll never forget you."

With those final words, the engines of the X-jet ignited and the soft rumble of the interior hinted that it was time to go back and deliver the grim news to the rest of the institute. Jean had passed out at this point, unable to stay awake because of her grief. Her mind was still searching through the empty link for the man she loved. But no matter how hard she searched…She could find nothing.

Scott Summers had been a friend and leader to the X-men and had dutifully worked to uphold the principles of Professor Xavier and protect those around him. Some criticized him for his uptight nature while others turned to him for guidance when they needed it. But in the end…He had died for them. He had bravely given his life without any regard for his own. Now they were never going to see him again. Such a tragedy was not something that they would easily overcome. And as the X-jet streaked across the sky and away from the grizzly sight…Their prayers went out to their lost friend and leader…Wherever he was.

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While the X-men struggled to deal with the horrible loss of their friend and leader…Back at the crater where the mysterious laboratory had once stood, strange new activity was brewing in the area that just been so greatly rocked by the explosion.

Deep within the hillside where the facility had been built into…A long, darkened tunnel that led from what used to be the basement of the facility all the way to the end of the small chain of hills remained intact. The sheer depth of this tunnel had helped save it from the explosion and the thick, dense layer of rocks around it had shielded it from detection. It wasn't very big and was barely wide enough for four people to walk through. But it had been built tough and had withstood the worst of the explosion.

In this deep tunnel, however, there was more than just rats and empty space. Under the soft glow of old, dirty lighting that was barely sustaining itself as it is…Three distinct figures stood below the area that had once been the basement of the laboratory. Above them, there was nothing left. But that didn't matter to them, for they had gotten what they had come her to get. Before them…Lay the motionless, lifeless body of Scott Summers. If anybody had looked at him…They would have quickly assumed him to be dead. The power of the strange blast he had suffered had literally blown the top part of his uniform clear off and his visor was now in shambles, so it had just been casually disposed of…Seeing as how it didn't seem as though it would do him any good now. Each one of the three figures looked deeply contented with what lay before them and a look of triumph dominated their expression as one of them, a tall, muscular man took out a small communicator and spoke.

"Sinister…It's Gorgeous George. We have the package. That weird ray gun you gave us did the trick. The guy is out cold."

Over the small, high tech device a deep, dark voice responded.

"Excellent…Everything has gone flawlessly. Can you tell if the X-men are gone?"

"We did a check," responded George, "They just left."

"Then you all should do the same," answered the dark voice that they had referred to as Sinister, "Put him in the mobile transport chamber and bring him back to the base. The effects of the device you used on him won't ware off anytime soon. But be careful with the specimen…I have very big plans for him."

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AN: Well, what do you think? Mysterious is it not? Sinister is now involved and the X-men are now reeling from the supposed loss of their friend and leader. But do you think he's really dead? And are you curious to see what Sinister means by 'big plans?' Well you'll just have to stay tuned to find out! There's definitely more to come! The mystery is just getting started! I hope you all like the story thus far even it is a little angsty now. But trust me, this is merely the beginning! So what do you think? Like it? Hate it? Eager to read more? Please tell me! Send me your reviews via email or post them on the fanfiction website! I appreciate all reviews and I urge you all to tell me what you think! Thanks for reading and until next time I wish you all the best!

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	3. The Loss

**Between Life and Death  
Chapter 3: The Loss**

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Hey! This story's off to a good start, but before I continue, a quick word to my reviewers!

**Agent-G: **Don't worry my friend, you'll see how everybody is coping with this tragedy in this chapter. As for Jean, it sure won't be easy for her. She just lost the love of her life. It'll be touch on everybody, but this is only the beginning my friend. Trust me…It's going to get quite complicated! Thanks a ton for the review my friend! You rock!  
**Tim Digidestined of Loyalty: **Glad I was able to better your day, but sorry if the last chapter was a sad one. Then again…That was exactly what I was going for so I'm happy to know that I succeeded. As for Scott…It's a bit more complicated than you think, but don't worry! You'll find out soon enough just what's going on with him and trust me, it's going to get intense!  
**Simba317: **Yeah, I know you're a Romy fan. But I'm sorry to say that they may not come together for quite a while in this fic, but I will include them, so don't worry about that. I'm honored to hear that you think so highly of the way in which I bring out emotions in this story. I've read so many stories that are just so bland and generic and I'm determined to make each story I write mean something, giving insight to the characters and the reader. As for Scott, you'll learn soon enough in the coming chapters just how complicated things are going to get! Thanks a ton for the extra long review! They're always so fun to read and I appreciate your kind words!  
**KSimonT-X: **You know Sinister…He's got a way of pushing the boundaries of sanity and insanity. And just wait until you see what he has in store! Thanks for your comments on this and my story with Agent-G! You rock my friend! Peace out!  
**GothikStrawberry: **I'm glad you like all the emotion and drama I put into the last chapter. It's always tough confronting something as hard as death, especially to someone that they were so attached to. Everybody will have their own struggles and you'll see just how hard it will get with the aftermath among Scott's friends and family, especially Jean, Kurt, and Bobby. Thank you very much for such kind words and I really appreciate your continued interest and kind words towards my work!  
**Darkness1: **I know character death is tough…But you'll see for yourself what I have planned for this later on, and trust me…It's going to get complicated. Everyone is going to have to deal with this loss in their own way, but they have no way of knowing just how big it's all going to become later on in the fic! As always, I thank you for your kind words my friend. It's always a joy hearing from you and you're words always help to serve as inspiration for me and my work! You rule man! Peace!  
**Wen1: **Yeah, I guess it is kind of like your fic, but trust me…There's going to be plenty of difference with what I have planned! As for Jean, I don't see how you enjoy watching her suffer so much and actually want her to try to kill herself…But she'll take it hard, that's for sure. But trust me…This is not the end! This is only the beginning!  
**Sentoris: **Wow, thank you for such kind and profound words my friend. I put so much effort and thought into every one of my stories and it's always very inspiring to hear someone like you praise it so much! As for Sinister's plans, you'll just have to wait and see my friend! And trust me…It's going to be big!  
**Jenskott: **Actually, there's a reason why I did that…You'll just have to stay tuned to find out my friend! I hope you like it and thanks for the review! Peace out!  
**Prophet-Song: **Hey! Great to hear from you again! And sadly, no, Magnum isn't going to be in this fic. However, she is going to be in the fic after this one, so don't think you've seen the last of her! I'm glad you like this story so far and I hope you like where I take it! Thanks for the review! Peace out!

Also, a special thanks to: **Howlerdrode, Sprocket, Overlord, X00001, Jott Luuuver, Diaz F, Mark C, The Uncanny R-Man, Lil Jean, Quillian, and Ingrid.**

**Also, I have a fic that I'm co-authoring with Agent-G called "Hellfire and Brimstone." It's got Jott, Romy, Wandurt, Kiotr, Loro, and plenty more! Please read and review it! Also, I have another ongoing fic on the adultfanfiction website, so if you want to, go to my profile and check that out as well! And don't forget to review!**

* * *

The Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters had never been in such a state of sorrow. The day after the fateful mission that had killed their friend and leader, Scott Summers, was dreary, rainy, and very solemn for everybody at the institute. Nobody knew if the rain was because of Ororo or if it was just some cruel trick by nature to further worsen the feeling of loss all throughout the team. Whether or not they had been really close to Scott as a friend, he had always represented many things for the X-men. He was a leader, a role model, and a guide when it came to dealing with the struggle of being a mutant in an ever hostile world. And now that he was gone…It was as if a core piece of the team was gone as well.

Everybody was affected by the loss, but the two that were by far the worse were Professor Charles Xavier, the man who had taken him in when he was still young and looked upon as nothing short of a son, and Jean Grey, Scott's best friend and lover. Professor Xavier had felt the pain Jean had when he sensed Scott's mind die within his head. Cerebro had allowed him to feel such a horrible sensation and it had left the man deeply scarred in many ways. Since the tragedy, the Professor had confined himself to his study, where none of the students dared bother him in dealing with his grief.

"Professor?" said Ororo as she knocked on the door.

Not getting a response she tried again, but she had already known that her mentor probably wasn't going to reply. He was still trying to deal with this just as everybody else was. But as hard as it was, she knew that they had to help each other in this truly dark hour.

"Professor please…" coaxed Ororo once more as she opened the door and slowly walked in.

The Professor's position hadn't changed since the last time she checked up on him. He was still sitting still on his wheelchair, staring out the window in a solemn daze. The look on his face was a look Ororo could only describe as one of true sadness. Scott had been more than just a student for Xavier, he had been the first one to take in and help with his powers and his life. He was a young boy who had grown into a wonderful young man with so much potential…Only to have it end so violently and abruptly.

"I should have done something…" he said in a deep, monotone voice.

Those had been the only words he had spoken since it all happened. It pained Ororo to see him in such a state of sorrow…But then again, she too was having a hard time dealing with this.

"Charles…There's nothing you could have done. There's no way you could have known," said Ororo, trying to bring comfort to the man that had been such a big influence on her life, "Please…Stop doing this to yourself. Scott wouldn't want you in such a state."

The wheelchair bound man did not respond to the former African goddess's words. Finding it almost too hard to look at the hurt expression on his face, she set down a tray of tea and mini-cakes off to the side of him.

"At least eat…" said Ororo, "You can't let yourself whither away like this. The other students are hurting too. We all need you Professor. I know it hurts but…Please, don't do this to yourself."

Ororo then left the room, carefully shutting the door behind her. It left the Professor alone again…Confined to his solitude and fed by his grief. As soon as Ororo left, the crippled man looked bitterly down at his legs. Never before had he cursed his handicap so much. Because of these damned legs, he hadn't been there. A look of anger and bitterness then fell upon him as the Professor continued to blame the loss of his first student on himself and the decisions and inabilities that he should have been stronger in carrying out. What kind of mentor was he? He had sent his first student to his death. If only a few minor things had been different…He would still be here and the institute wouldn't be reeling from such a tremendous loss. He had known Scott since he first arrived as a sick, traumatized, undernourished little boy and he had seem him grow into a strong, upstanding young man over the years. But now he was gone…And he had nobody to blame but himself.

* * *

On a regular day, the halls of the institute would have been bustling with activity among the students. They would be socializing, going over schoolwork or danger room sessions, or simply chat like most young people so often did. But not today…Not on this most dreary of days.

Kitty never skipped anymore in her usual valley girl manner. Instead, she simply dragged herself around the institute with a deep look of sadness on her face. Kurt didn't joke around like he normally did. In fact, he had barely said a word since he got out of the infirmary. Bobby, who usually shared Kurt's free spirit attitude, was no different. He hadn't said much since he got back and was simply walking in endless circles around the quiet mansion, lost in his thoughts. Rogue, on the other hand, had chosen to stay in her room and simply lay in her bed staring at the ceiling. Her mind was still not fully comprehending the fact that one of her best friends was dead and never coming back. Part of her expected him to knock on her door at any minute, beckoning her to a danger room session or a team meeting. But there was nothing but silence…Solemn, morose silence.

For the rest of the students that had not gone on the mission, it was a true shock to see their elders come back with such sad looks on their faces. Logan had been the unlucky one to inform everybody about what had happened to Scott and even he couldn't hide his emotions from the shock of such a loss. It hit the younger students quite hard…Knowing one of them was now dead. A day earlier, many of them had seen and spoken to him about this or that…Now he was never coming back. The tender age of the other students made it hard for them process the feeling of having lost such a close friend and teammate. It was something that even the adults struggled with. Now, once cheery, playful demeanors were replaced by those of shock, sadness, and sorrow. For the first time…One of them had died as a result of their fight. And he didn't just die…He sacrificed himself.

In Jean's room, the young redhead that had been closer to Scott Summers than anybody else was still frozen in a state of sorrow as she lay in a curled up ball in her bed. Upon feeling the man she loved die in her head, she had passed out for the trip home and woken up in her room. At first she thought she had just had a horrible nightmare…But when she searched for him through their link, it only confirmed that it was no dream. And to make matters worse, she could feel and sense the sorrow of the others around her because of her powers. Her traumatized state had completely eroded her shields to the point of uselessness and now she didn't even have the strength to filter out the most simple of thoughts.

The stains of tears now riddled her face as Jean closed her eyes and tried to search for Scott again through their link.

'Scott…Please Scott…Answer me. Where are you? Don't leave me…'

But there was no response. No matter how hard she cried or how hard she searched, she would never find his warm presence again or feel it in her mind. The deep link that had formed over the years had died with him and now it felt as though a part of herself was missing. Such a feeling hurt unlike anything she had ever felt before. Her soul mate was dead…She was never going to see the man she loved ever again. They would never go out on dates, hold each other when they had a nightmare, make love to each other, or share deep kisses or romantic moments…And now they would never get a chance to go further in their relationship. They would never get married, have kids, or grow old together. Even though some might have scoffed at her for thinking such things at her age…She knew that he had been the one. Scott had been the man she could see herself with forever…But now she was alone. And she was never going to see him again.

In addition to the horrible loss she felt from feeling Scott die in her head, Jean also experienced many bad dreams about his past that few other people knew. Jean was one of the privileged few that knew Scott in depth and he was the only one who knew her the same way. She knew about his past, where he came from, and why he was the way he was. Ever since she got back, flashes of memories that Scott had shared with her through their link riddled her mind. They were mainly memories of his life during and after the plane crash. In her mind…She had seen the look on Scott's face when he and his little brother jumped from that plane as they watched their parents die right before their eyes. In her mind…She felt his sorrow upon waking up from a three month coma only to learn that he was the only survivor. In her mind…She saw how he was teased and picked on at the orphanage for being distant, depressed, and sad all the time. In her mind…She saw images of how he had been adopted by a cruel man and used as mere pet for his criminal activities. In her mind…She saw all the abuse, both mental and physical, that he had endured. In her mind…She saw how he was assaulted, tormented, and pushed to do things like steal or perform sexual favors. In her mind…She saw how he had run away and lived like a rat on the streets…Slowly wasting away. In her mind…She felt the painful, burning feeling in his eyes when his powers activated and he was forced to function blind. And in her mind…She saw the very moment when Professor Charles Xavier approached his impoverished form and offered him a chance at a new life.

Scott had never let anybody in on the secrets of his past…But he had entrusted such knowledge to her because she had gained his trust. And just like he wanted, she never told anybody. But she knew that his life had made him the staunch, uptight, somewhat stubborn man that others saw him as. He had gone through a lot…Yet he had become such a wonderful, caring, and compassionate young man. And now that he was gone, it hurt knowing she would never feel that love or compassion from him ever again.

Jean's gaze soon fell upon a picture that had been on her dresser for over a year now. Slowly, she reached out and took it in her hands and held it close for her to see. It was a picture taken of her and Scott not long after what happened in Mexico. It was the first picture taken of them after they had become an item. Even though they had been slow to fully admit just how deeply involved they were…When they finally came around it had been one of the best things to ever happen to her.

Jean then found herself gently running her hands over Scott's image on the picture, as if to reach him even though he was dead. In seeing the smile on both his and her face in that photo, her mind began too drift towards one of the many treasured memories she had of her and Scott. She closed her eyes and tried to return to a happier time…A time when the future looked bright and when he had been alive.

_Jean sank into Scott's embrace as they sat comfortably on the hood of his car at lookout point. They were now far from the mansion, away from prying eyes so that they could share a quiet moment together. But this time, it had more significance, for they were still reeling from the battle against Apocalypse that they had fought so hard in and barely won. The sunset looked all the more beautiful as the young couple held each other tightly, musing over the recent events that had so greatly changed their lives._

"_It's beautiful…Isn't it?" said Jean as she tightly held her boyfriend's hand._

"_Yeah…Beautiful," agreed Scott as he looked back at her and planted a gentle kiss upon her cheek, causing her to sink deeper into his embrace._

"_Everything seems so different after having stopped the world from being completely destroyed, doesn't it?" she mused as she thought about the battle that they had barely survived._

"_I know…It makes it all seem a lot more significant, knowing it was almost all taken away. But we fought it…And we won."_

"_Yes…We fought…But I don't know if we did win Scott," said Jean, sounding worried, "I mean…What if Apocalypse comes back? What if we're not so lucky next time? What if…"_

_But Scott silently placed two fingers on her lips, stopping her before she let herself grow all the more anxious._

"_Jean…You can't let yourself worry about that now. I know it's not easy forgetting something…Believe me I know. But the future isn't as important as the present. All that matters to me now is that we're here…Together."_

_Jean let out a sigh as she ran her hands along the side of his face, looking deeply into his eyes as if his glasses weren't even there to begin with._

"_I know it's hard to forget…But I can't help but think about the future and where this will all lead us. The world is just so dangerous and we're always on the fringe of that danger. And I just…I don't want to lose my friends and family because of the lives we lead. And I especially don't want to lose you Scott…"_

"_Don't worry Jean…You won't lose me," he said softly, sending comforting feelings through their link, "If we can survive Apocalypse…Then I know we can survive anything. I think about the future too…But I try not to think the worst of it. I try to think about things like changing the world, fighting for peace, and growing old with you."_

_Jean's heart skipped a beat upon hearing him talk about growing old together. His touch made her weak in the knees and his gaze made her feel many powerful feelings. But then again, love tended to have that effect on people. _

"_Do you really want to grow old together?" asked Jean softly, "Does that include things like marriage, kids, and everything else in between?"_

"_I wouldn't have it any other way," said Scott as he gently placed a soft kiss on her lips._

_Jean soon deepened the kiss and turned around in his lap to face him as she wrapped her hands around his neck and felt him embrace her in his strong arms._

'_I love you…You know that right?' sent Jean through their link as they continued to kiss._

'_I know…I love you too.'_

'_Don't ever leave me Scott…'_

'_I promise you Jean…I won't.'_

As the memory played over in Jean's mind, more tears formed in her eyes. She remembered so vividly that day and many others like it when they shared such moments together…Both as friends and as lovers. There were so many memories she had with him that she wanted to treasure. And now that Scott was gone…Those memories were all she had left as she held the picture close to her heart.

* * *

Outside the mansion, the rain was falling in a steady downpour. To some, it seemed fitting for the mood at the institute. It was as if nature itself was weeping with them in their grief. Out near the gazebos looking over the lake, Kurt Wagner sat motionlessly as he let the rain soak him from head to toe. His fur was now wet with rain, but it didn't seem to bother the young mutant as he simply looked over the lake. Kurt didn't know how long he had been sitting like this, but it must have been for over an hour. It could have been longer, but he really didn't care anymore. He had never been in a state like this before. The only thing that came even remotely close was when Amanda broke up with him because she was moving away with her family. That alone had been difficult for him to deal with, but this was on a whole other level for him. His mind was somewhere else far, far away and even the thunder and lightning in the distance didn't seem to affect him.

Kurt was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't realize Kitty Pryde approaching him from behind. She had an umbrella and a light jacket to stay dry, but Kurt just continued to sit there letting himself get soaked.

"Kurt?" said Kitty as she approached him.

Kurt didn't respond in words. Instead, he merely looked back at her with a sad face.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked as she sat beside him and put the umbrella partially over him so he wouldn't get any more soaked than he already was.

"Thinking…" he answered non-chantingly, "Vhat about you…Vhat are you doing out here?"

Kitty also somewhat hesitated in her response, but she didn't let it happen for long.

"I just had to get out of the mansion," she finally answered, "Everybody is really taking it hard…Especially Jean and the Professor. I heard Mr. Logan say something about maybe even having to send Jean to a doctor if she doesn't get any better."

Kurt bowed his head in sorrow as he heard how his friends were suffering as a result of such a painful loss.

"I hope they don't resort to that…Death is not something that can be treated," said Kurt.

"I know…I hope it doesn't happen too."

Another silence fell over them as Kitty watched Kurt as he stared unmoving out over the lake. A low rumble of thunder was heard in the distance as the rain showed no signs of letting up. The hurt look in Kurt's eyes only grew worse…Something Kitty had not wanted to happen by talking to him. She couldn't stand seeing her friends in so much pain, Kurt especially. But to her, Kurt seemed even worse though as he continued to struggle with whatever he was thinking.

"Kurt…Come on. Let's get out of the rain," said Kitty.

Kurt simply shook his head, apparently not at all bothered by the pouring rain as it kept on soaking him down to the fur.

"No thanks Kitty…I'm fine right here," he answered.

"In the rain?" said Kitty as she looked sadly into his eyes, not wanting to see somebody she cared about in such a hurt state.

"I'm sorry Kitty…But I just can't go back in there," said Kurt as his words began to mix with sobs.

"But…Why?" replied Kitty.

Kurt looked away, not wanting to see the expression in her teary, blue eyes.

"Because I can't stand seeing everybody in so much pain!" he said in a more emotional tone, "All their looks…All their sorrow…It just keeps reminding me!"

"What do you mean? Reminding you of what?" asked Kitty, somewhat shocked by his sudden change in tone.

"Vhat do you think Kitty! Of Scott!" he exclaimed, "Every time I hear someone cry or see the look on someone's face…It reminds me of how I failed. If…If I had just been there a moment sooner…Or if I hadn't gotten myself injured…Then maybe…He'd still be here. And ve vouldn't be going through all this."

Kitty saw the look of self hate that had been frozen on to Kurt's face as a result of saying those words. It was evident now that he blamed himself for Scott's death. He blamed himself for everybody being so sad and full of remorse. It was no wonder as to why he was doing this to himself now. It was almost as if he was punishing himself and Kitty couldn't stand seeing it.

"Kurt…You can't blame yourself," said Kitty as she put a gentle hand on his wet shoulder.

"How can you say that!" exclaimed Kurt somewhat angrily, "I just left him there to die! I should have been stronger! I should have been faster! I should have been able to get both him and Bobby out! But I just left him…"

Kurt felt his voice soften somewhat as his words devolved into sobs. The whole thing played out in his head again and the final look on Scott's face was forever engraved into his consciousness. The look of his friend…The last look anyone ever saw of him before he…It was all just too much for the young man to take.

"I just left him there…I killed him," said Kurt weakly, "I might as well have done it with my bare hands by leaving him there. I killed one of my best friends…He's dead now because of me."

Kurt couldn't control his sobs as the rain mixed with his tears. In seeing his pain, Kitty saw a look of hurt upon the young man's face unlike anything she had ever seen before. Ever since their rocky start at her arrival, she and Kurt had always been pretty close. At first his appearance somewhat freaked her out, but upon learning what a kind, gentle person he was beneath that fur she found something in him that she didn't want to be without. That made seeing him like this all the more difficult as she moved in closer to him, not caring about his wet form.

"Kurt…It wasn't your fault," she said clearly so she could get it across to him as best she could, "There was nothing you could have done."

"No…I could've just grabbed him and tried to port both of them! I could've gone back sooner! I could've…"

Kitty didn't let him finish his words of angst as she gently took his hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Kurt…If you had done that then the mansion would be dealing with the deaths of two, or even three good friends instead of one. Scott willingly sacrificed himself so that we all could live. If you hadn't listened to him…Then you may have died too and so would Bobby."

Kitty's words did help somewhat. If the mansion was taking the death of one student this hard then it was almost impossible to imagine how they would take the death of two or three. But one of them was still dead…That much couldn't be avoided. Kurt kept going over the scenario in his mind. He recalled so vividly his injured condition and his weakened form. He didn't want to believe Scott when he said that he would never make it if he tried to teleport two people at once…But deep down he knew it was true. Had he tried…He probably would have died along with him and Bobby as well. Kurt just couldn't accept that there was no way Scott could have been saved. He wanted to believe that there was some way that his friend could have come out of that building…But every part of his mind kept telling him that he would have died anyways. And maybe…Scott knew that.

Kurt couldn't take it anymore as he began to break down. Every bit of his control over his emotions went out the door as he struggled to accept the death of his friend. He wanted to believe it wasn't true…But he was gone now…And he was never coming back.

"I can't…I should've…" he struggled, but was quickly overwhelmed by his grief, "I vish I could've done more…I vish I could have done something."

"I know…So do I," replied Kitty as she pulled him into a gentle embrace, letting him cry his tears as she ended up doing the same.

Both Kurt and Kitty clung to each other in the pouring rain, not minding how wet everything was or even the thunder and lightning in the distance. The sky itself seemed to be weeping along with them as both youths simply lost the ability to form words and let their cries of grief speak for themselves.

* * *

In the garage, Logan had sequestered himself from the rest of the gloom and sorrow of the institute. He was never a man who liked to show his emotions…But seeing all the students in such a sad state while trying to deal with the loss himself was almost too much for him to handle. In the end he simply tried busying himself with something else in order to help him forget.

For an unknown period of time the former living weapon found himself detailing his motorcycle and the X-van. He hoped getting his hands dirty and focusing on the vehicles instead of the tragedy would serve as a good distraction. But no matter how hard he worked or how much he tried to focus himself…He kept remembering. The look on every students face, the smell of their tears, and the sorrow he heard from them just wouldn't leave his mind and it was hurting him more than he ever would have cared to admit.

Losing Scott…The first student he ever taught with Ororo and the Professor…Was a grave blow to the man who had already lost so much in his long, illustrious life. But it was made worse when he was left to perform the grizzly task of informing the rest of the students. The real kicker, however, was when he had to call up Alex and inform him that the brother he had just found a little over a year ago…Was dead. He remembered vividly how Alex had yelled at him, screamed at him, and just plain unloaded on him for daring to lie to him about something like this…For he just wouldn't believe it. But by the end of the conversation on the phone…The younger Summers brother broke down into tears and he slammed the phone on the hook. Logan tried to call back…But he got no answer.

With a frustrated grunt, Logan tightened one last bolt on the X-van. It seemed as though the more he worked the more frustrated he got. He had almost run out of adjustments that needed to be made. Now he actually found himself taking things a part just so he could focus on putting them back together. But it wasn't distracting him…It was frustrating him to no end.

"Damn it!" he grunted as he pulled himself out from under the van and stood up, rubbing his dirty hands on his head in frustration.

It wasn't working…He just couldn't forget. It was strange in a sense how all his life, he had been trying to remember…Now all he wanted to do was forget all the faces of the saddened children and the final look on Scott's face before he made the ultimate sacrifice to save his friends. In the end…Logan felt that it was he who should have given his life to save them. But if he hadn't done what he did then maybe Bobby would have died or even Kurt. Ever since Xavier had turned him from a wild animal into the instructor of a bunch of mutant kids, Logan had vowed to protect the students that he had grown so close to. Scott was his first…And he couldn't even protect him.

Logan's frustrated expression soon shifted towards the other side of the garage and fell upon Scott's car. For some strange reason, he found himself walking over to it. It was the vehicle that the young man had taken such great care of over the years. He often compared Scott's love of his car to his own love of his motorcycle. He detailed it constantly, washed it impulsively, and unlike him, was a careful, considerate driver. The memory of the look on Scott's face when the Professor had presented the car to him as a gift would forever be engraved in his mind. The smile on his face, the excitement in his voice…It was hard to believe that there would never be any moments like that again.

As he looked at the car, his mind began to drift towards the others. The Professor was still in a state of shock upon losing someone he considered nothing short of a son. Jean was even worse and he worried for her greatly because she wasn't eating anything and had not moved from the position in her bed since they got back. Beast said that she may need to see a doctor if her state proves to be a risk to her health and Logan truly didn't want to see that.

He knew Jean was taking it the hardest because losing Scott had been like losing a part of herself. He remembered watching them grow together from age twelve. He could see it in their faces just how crazy they were about each other. Not being one to know a whole lot about love, he saw it first hand as he watched Scott and Jean grow so close over the years and develop a truly special bond. It was for this reason why he didn't give them a hard time when they started dating. He knew they liked to share romantic moments, he knew that they loved each other a great deal, and he even knew that they made love many times behind the back of him and the rest of the instructors. They were simply two people deeply in love…And now one of them was dead and the hurt Jean was in was almost too great for him to contemplate.

As Logan finally pulled himself way from the car and focused back on his motorcycle, he thought about what Scott had meant to the team. Even though he was young…He was still a leader and a role model for the team. He was a good kid…He had a bright future ahead of him. He had good grades, he had good friends, and he had a girl he was deeply in love with…And he was willing to sacrifice himself so that nobody else would die. Logan didn't know if he would have been able to do that if their positions had been reversed…But in considering the kind of person he knew Scott was, he understood why he did it.

The man had a genuine compassion for his friends. And while they didn't see eye to eye on everything, Logan took great pride in having seen him grow into such a respectable young man. He was a good kid with a good heart…And he didn't deserve to die. Logan found himself swallowing a lump in his throat as he forced himself to return to his work. But he already knew that no matter how hard he tried…He could never forget. And maybe…Part of him didn't want to in the end.

* * *

Bobby Drake had been walking around the mansion in circles for hours on end it seemed. Ever since he got out of the infirmary, he found it impossible to rest his weary young mind. He had never seen the mansion so quiet before. He had never seen everybody so sad before. He had been there on that fateful moment…He had heard Jean's cries and everybody's gasps as they saw the building with Scott still in it explode into a fireball.

Bobby had always been one to joke around and not take things as seriously as he knew he should. Even after he had proven himself strong and was allowed to join the team of regulars, he still goofed around. Now that he looked back on it, he knew it felt as though it was because he believed them to be the good guys. And his logic was that the good guys always won simply because they were good. But this was no comic or cartoon show…This was real life.

Bobby soon found himself stop as he looked into the living room to see Ray, Sam, Jubilee, Tabitha, and Amara still trying to help each other get over the shock of what Logan had told them. Everything had been so unexpected…The mission had just gone so horribly wrong. And for Bobby, he couldn't help but feel guilty in some ways.

Scott had given his life to save him. There was no doubt in his mind that he would have died had Scott not blasted through the rubble he was trapped behind and gotten him out. In his weakened state from the heat…There was little he could have done. He had been slow…He had fallen behind and gotten himself trapped. And for that reason, Scott fought his way back and saved him even at the expense of his own life. But what made things worse were the effects his death had on everybody. Scott was more than just a friend…He was a leader and a role model. He knew that the others, along with himself many times, teased him for being uptight and somewhat of a stiff when it came to looking after the team. He also remembered how he teased him while he was with Jean. Now, upon seeing how hard Jean was taking it and the news that she may have to get serious help for the trauma she suffered upon feeling her boyfriend die…He couldn't help but feel a tremendous regret for teasing him.

Scott was a leader and he had taken on the duty of keeping everything together with the others. And for that…They teased him. They scoffed at him for being such a straight arrow and simply doing what he thought was right. Now he was gone…He gave his life so that others could live. To Bobby he wasn't a stiff, a zealot, or an overachiever anymore…He was a hero. There were many things he wished he could have done. As a part of the regulars now…He was expected to serve as a role model for the others. But without Scott, it was as if a truly important piece was missing from the core of the X-men.

Bobby Drake was still a young kid in many ways…But upon joining the team and witnessing a friend come back and save his life at the expense of his own, he had been forced to grow up. As he resumed his endless walking throughout the vast institute he kept thinking about those final moments…And he would not soon forget them and the sacrifice that Scott Summers had made.

* * *

Rogue had given up trying to sleep in her bed as she lay flat on her back, staring at the ceiling. She could only remember getting a few hours of sleep last night. Between seeing all her friend in so much pain and remembering in vivid detail what had happened back at the facility, it was just too hard not to think about it.

For her, Scott Summers had always held a special place in her heart. It was because of him on that fateful day in the cave with Mystique that she ended up joining the institute. He had saved her life then nearly at the cost of his own…And he had done the same for others, this time making the ultimate sacrifice.

Having absorbed Scott many times before, she had parts of him still in her head and remembered some of the things she had experienced when she absorbed him. While she never told anybody, she wanted to hold on to it for herself. His powers were hard to deal with and she couldn't imagine having to live with the constant fear of hurting someone he cared about. Whenever she absorbed him, she didn't have to deal with his complicated situation of having to wear ruby-quartz glasses all the time, but Scott had done it for years.

And it wasn't just the powers she absorbed…She also sometimes got his memories. Among the most vivid were the memories of the plane crash that took his family away from him at such a young age. Everybody knew about it…But Rogue had seen in and experienced it like a nightmare. It truly was horrible beyond description to watch one's family die and she couldn't imagine how he could have dealt with it. Among his other memories…They were far more fuzzy and convoluted. Whenever she touched him, she got brief snippets of memories that seemed as though he was trying hard to guard…If not forget. These memories tended to be flashes of dark, dingy places and were dominated by leering, sinister looking men that caused a great deal of pain for him. While it wasn't clear to her what these memories meant, it was certain that they had been very hard for Scott to deal with.

As she lay in bed, she tried to sort though each clear memory that she did have of Scott. Some she absorbed, some she made the old fashioned way with experience. Others sometimes teased him for being uptight, yet in absorbing him and getting to know him she knew that such taunting was unjustified. Scott was the oldest and he was a leader and a role model to everybody at the institute. It was something he never took lightly even though it wasn't a role he had asked to have. Many times, she knew when he felt weary about his position because she absorbed his feelings…Yet he kept at it and managed to hold on even though he had many things to struggle with in order to keep it up…The teasing from the others being one of them. There were sides to Scott Summers that she knew that nobody else bothered to take the time to learn about. He had a side for fun, a side for compassion, a side humor…Many sides to him that he showed when he wasn't being Cyclops, leader of the X-men. But now she could add one more side to him that she knew…Hero.

Scott had made the ultimate sacrifice to save them…Now he was gone forever. Rogue had lost many things in her life…Family, memories, friends…But Scott was definitely a truly devastating blow not just to her, but to everybody. She didn't lie to herself in that she had a crush on Scott when she first came to the institute…Hell, all the girls probably did at some point. And even though he made it painfully clear that his heart belonged to Jean and Jean alone…That one crush really did a lot to help break her out of her shell. Even though she had somewhat gotten over that crush, thanks to a rather strange experience with a red eyed Cajun, Scott still a special place in her heart…And always would.

As Rogue went through all the memories she had with Scott…Suddenly, a voice echoed through her head.

'Everybody…Meet me in my study. There is something that we all need to discuss.'

It was the voice of Professor Xavier and it was the first time that they had heard his voice since they got back. But it was easy to tell that there was still a solemn, pained tone to his words. While part of Rogue didn't want to talk about what she knew the Professor was implying…Another part of her couldn't stand this hurt she felt. Not wanting to keep the others waiting or make them suffer without her…Rogue pulled herself out of bed and made her way down the hallway.

* * *

The rain continued to fall outside as everybody that had been on that fateful mission gathered in Xavier's study. Kurt was still soaking wet and so was Kitty. And Ororo had managed to finally coax Jean out of bed, which was surprising because this was the first time that anybody had seen her since they got back. While everybody was relieved that she was out of her room, her expression was by far the most difficult to look at. There was still a pain in her eyes…One that lingered upon feeling the man she loved die in her head. Professor Xavier didn't look much better as he prepared to address his students on this most difficult of times.

"For the first time…We have lost one of our students," he said as he struggled through what he had rehearsed many times in his head, "For the first time…We have lost a friend. And before I say anything more, I want you all to know that if there's anything you want to talk to us about in dealing with this issue, know that we're all here…But that's not the main reason why I called you here. I called you all…Because I wanted to let you know what is going to happen in the coming days. While I know it is still very hard and very difficult to accept…But Scott is gone."

The Professor had to stop for a moment as he tried to swallow his emotions while seeing the sad expressions on the faces of his students. Many were in tears, others were simply staring off into space with a dazed expression. But this had to be done…As hard as it may be for him and everybody else, he couldn't allow everyone to let this tragedy destroy them.

"I know that we were all affected by Scott in someway or another…And saying goodbye to him one last time is important. So I have scheduled a memorial service this Wednesday at Bayville United Church. And if anybody wishes to speak, please let us know and we'll help organize it. Then…A small stone monument will be constructed on the grounds of the institute overlooking the lake where we will say our final goodbyes. While I'm sorry to say that we don't have a body left to bury…If any of you wish to place something in his coffin in his memory…Please feel free to do so."

More tears flowed as the mention of Scott's funeral only confirmed what some were still struggling to process. The longer they lived this nightmare of sorrow…The more clear it became that Scott was dead and never coming back. But the Professor wasn't finished yet…There were still some things that needed to be addressed before he let everybody go and deal with this horrible tragedy in their own way.

"Scott was…Many things to this team. To me…He was like a son in every way except blood. He was truly the first one to take on the duties of an X-man…And losing him…Has been difficult for me to bear as I know it is for the rest of you."

The Professor tried not to let his tears show, but the more he talked about this…The worse it became. He had to stop himself again and only through the support of Hank, Logan, and Ororo by his side was he able to regain his composure.

"We all knew him…Both in and out of uniform. And now that you know what is going to happen…I wish to open the floor anybody who feels they need to get talk about this tragedy."

As he finished, a heavy silence fell over his students…Each one not wanting to talk about something so hard. Soon, only the sound of the rain tapping against the window could be heard. Everybody seemed too afraid or too full of remorse to speak up. Then…Bobby finally broke the silence.

"Professor…I don't think there's anything to talk about. Scott is dead…He died saving my miserable life…End of story."

"No Bobby…That's not the end," said the Professor, but before he could continue, he was cut off by another voice.

"He's right professor…" said Kurt, "Talking about him won't bring him back. And I don't think I want to discuss it…It's all just so…Sudden. I mean…One of us is dead. One of us went on a mission and didn't come back…"

Xavier let out a deep sigh as he saw the look of struggle on the faces of his students when they tried to talk about this. For many of them, this was the first time in dealing with the death of someone they cared about. Their tender age made them somewhat vulnerable to the sorrow that death brought. But if they were to survive as a team and a school…They would have to fight this so that Scott's sacrifice had not been in vain.

"I understand that…The aura of youth and invulnerability has been forever shattered by this. We all like to think that we will always come out on top simply because we conceive ourselves to be the good guys. But whether one is good or bad…We are all equally mortal. Scott knew that when he made the sacrifice he did…And no matter what, we have to honor that sacrifice."

"But why did he do it!" said Kitty, who was doing a poor job of holding back her sobs, "Why would Scott let himself die like that? Why?"

Professor Charles Xavier had a feeling that this might come up…But part of him hoped that it wouldn't. Looking over at Jean…Who knew all to well the answer to Kitty's question…He let out a deep sigh.

"Because Scott loved you all dearly," answered Xavier, "You were all like family to him. And while all of you know that Scott was forced to watch his parents die right before his eyes…I don't think many of you know the true effects that it had on him."

"But that doesn't explain why?" said Bobby, who wanted to know the answer just as badly as everybody else did, "Why would he give up everything like that?"

"Because this team and this school was ALL he had," answered the Professor, "Scott…Had his reasons for doing what he did. And while I know that some of you may never understand why, just know this…Scott suffered a lot in his life. He went through a lot of pain…Not just with his powers, but in general as well. And no matter how much pain he had to deal with…He was always determined not to let those he care about feel it."

"Pain?" said Kurt with a confused expression on his face, "Vhat are you talking about Professor?"

Everybody was now looking at the Professor strangely, not knowing what he was talking about. The Professor knew that there was no way that they could have known…So it was in turn, his job to tell them so that they would forever understand Scott Summers and why he was the way he was.

"I think…You all deserve to know who Scott Summers truly is. Now that he's gone…I think its best you know the kind of life that he lived. Maybe…It will shed some light on why he was the way he was and why he was so willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for his friends."

The Professor then took a deep breath as he prepared his telepathy, knowing that this was going to be difficult for both him and the students.

"Now…Open your minds my students…And let me show you the life of Scott Summers."

As everybody did as they were told, they were suddenly bombarded with a barrage of images that flashed within their minds.

_In the cold skies over Alaska…They saw two scared little boys look out over a burning plane with great fear and anxiety as they clung to their parents, crying and pleading with them not to make them go. But the gentle words of both the man and the woman dissuaded them…Telling the two boys "Go now…We'll be okay. I promise."_

_Then, they saw the boys jump with fear in their eyes as they looked back and to their horror…Saw the plane explode as if it was happening just now. Then, in a flash…They saw a injured little boy lying motionlessly in a hospital bed. He was in a lot of pain…They could sense it. But as he woke up, the first things that were said were "Scott…Scott can you hear me? You're very lucky to be alive. You were the only survivor. I'm sorry but…You're parents and brother didn't make it."_

_In another flash, they saw the same boy living in a dirty orphanage, scared and alone…Deeply saddened by his loss. Others picked on him…Nobody wanted him. Nobody wanted a scared, brain damaged little boy. _

_In another flash, they saw a cruel man come and adopt Scott illegally and force him into a live of crime and poverty. They saw him sleep in cold, dark alleys and steal whatever he was told to…Otherwise he would face brutal punishment. They saw how this and other cruel men tortured and used the boy in many sick ways, forcing him to endure both physical and mental abuse._

_In another flash, they saw how he lost control of his powers…Blowing away the man that had beaten and abused him to no end and running away with tears in his eyes until his powers completely took over and he was forever blinded by them. _

_In another flash, they saw him huddled in a corner…Scared, weak, and horribly undernourished as a man in a wheelchair came up to him and said "Scott…You don't have to live like this…You don't have to deal with your pain alone. I can help you…I can give you a home. Please…Just give me a chance."_

_Then…A fury of scenes of his early years at the institute, his growth in strength as a person and a leader, and his meeting of new friends…Culminating in seeing him fall in love with Jean._

_Then finally…It all stopped._

As soon as everybody found themselves back in Xavier's study, looks of great shock and horror fell upon their faces. Many were bursting with tears as they saw the horrors that Scott had gone through. Jean, who had known about this beforehand, cried the hardest as she was reminded of how hard Scott's life was and how it affected him. But hardest of all…Was the final scene at the end when it showed him falling in love with her in the same way she fell in love with him. For the others, it was truly a shocking revelation to know that their strong, stoic leader had endured such horrors in his life. Many were too choked up to say anything…Until Kurt finally broke the silence.

"Professor…Vhy did you show us that?"

"Because Kurt…You all had to know the truth," said the Professor, trying hard to help alleviate the horrors of what they had just seen, "Scott's life…Was one of great difficulty and struggle. He lost a lot…His family, his childhood, and his innocence. It hurt him…But it also influenced him. He once told me…That his biggest fear was seeing his friends in pain because of him. He knew first hand how bad it felt and how horribly it affected him…And in the end, that is the main reason why he was willing to die to save his friends."

Many of those who had teased Scott about being uptight or overprotective now felt a pain of guilt surge through them. Given what they had just seen…It was no wonder why he worked so hard to keep those he cared about out of harms way. It wasn't because he was a jerk or because he was ignorant…It was because he didn't want them to feel pain.

Nobody had the strength to say anymore now. Kitty had collapsed in tears into Kurt's arms, Rogue had left the room in a wave of sobs, Bobby simply stood there as still as a statue upon seeing what he had just been shown, and Jean was left hugging her knees for a while before she too left the room and returned to her bedroom.

Upon reaching her room, Jean collapsed on her bed and cried her heart out. Seeing Scott's past…Remembering the sacrifice he had made for them…It was just too much for her to deal with. Once again, she found herself taking the picture of her and Scott that she had been holding earlier and hugged it close to her heart. Everybody at the mansion was hit hard by Scott's death…But she was by far hit the hardest. She would never feel his arms around her body or hear his voice ever again except in dreams and memories. In holding on to the framed picture of happier times when he was alive and they were just two young people in love, Jean Grey simply cried herself to sleep…But not before sending one last thing through the now empty link.

'Goodbye Scott…I'll always love you…And both I and everybody else here at the institute will never forget you.'

* * *

In a remote location near Lake Erie in upstate New York, a strange aircraft that was flying without lights and under the cover of both the night and a turbulent storm quickly descended into what looked like an old country club or estate. The ground suddenly opened up below the craft in a hidden landing zone was unveiled. Once the aircraft landed, the large doorways on the ground were quickly closed and a series of lights were turned on around the area.

Out of the plane, three ominous figures walked out with a strange glass containment tank shaped for one person. In that tank, the still unmoving body of Scott Summers laid with little signs of life. But that didn't seem to bother the three other figures. They were known as the Nasty Boys. They included Gorgeous George, a super strong mutant with muscle and invulnerability; Ruckus, a tall long haired mutant with the ability to shout super loud burst of sound; and Vertigo, a psychic mutant with the power to incapacitate and disorient any weak mind and body to the point of uselessness.

They all walked in a stride of triumph, for everything that they were assigned to do had gone off without a hitch. As the three of them made their way out of the hanger with the glass container being moved along by Gorgeous George, they approached a mechanical sliding door. As it opened…A new figure stepped out.

"Is that the specimen?" asked the dark figure in a sinister voice.

"You bet Mr. Sinister!" said George, "Easy as a freakin' cake walk!"

The man known as Sinister, who bore a full black body suit with strange extension in the back, pasty white skin, and glowing red eyes flashed an approving grin as he looked down at the body in the glass.

"Excellent…Everything I have planned is finally coming to pass. I have waited many years for this day…Now my dream is finally upon us. And this feeble little mutant…Will be the medium for a very sinister future!"

* * *

AN: Well, that's it for now. I know this chapter was sad and full of angst, but I feel it was necessary to show the true effects that death had on everybody at the institute. Angst or not, this is still just the beginning! You'll see how the institute copes and just what Sinister is up to. I assure you, you won't want to miss it! So what do you think so far? Do you want me to continue? Please tell me! Send me your reviews via email or post them on the fanfiction website! I'm eager to know what you think about this story as it progresses so I implore you to send me your thoughts! Thanks for reading everybody!

REVIEW! DON'T GO YET! REVIEW!


	4. Intentions

**Between Life and Death  
Chapter 4: Intentions**

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You know the drill people! A quick word to my reviewers before I begin!

**Simba317: **As always, thanks for the exceptionally long review my friend! I always appreciate such feedback! I'm glad you like how I handled the emotions in the last chapter. I wanted to really focus on the dramatic elements with it and thanks to reviews like yours, I feel I have succeeded! This chapter is definitely different since it adds more to the mystery of the fic rather than the tragedy, but trust me, there will be plenty of time for that later on!  
**Tim Digidestined of Loyalty: **Glad I could help make your week better my friend! That always gives me a comforting feeling know I can help somebody brighten their day! I'm sorry if the depressing nature of some of the content is a little extreme, but I really like writing about emotional things I truly want to make it meaningful. But trust me, it's not over by a long shot! You'll learn more about the real mystery in the coming chapters!  
**Heartsyhawk:** Always a pleasure and an honor hearing from you my friend! I'm glad I was able to create a new respect for Scott with this. I've always believed that character bashing in any form is wrong and that one must truly look beyond the surface to understand why someone is a certain way. Scott is no different, for he had reasons for being the way he was. And some of those reasons led him to make that sacrifice. But trust me my friend…This story is going to get a lot more complicated and even more dramatic! I really hope you like it and I can't thank you enough for all your kind words!  
**Agent-G: **Yep, Betsy and Emma are coming in with this chapter! But trust me…I did that for a reason! You'll know why later on. As for the Nasty Boys, I know there were originally five, but I wanted to use the main members and make room for Betsy and Emma. Plus, it's easier this way in the long run. Thanks as always for the review my friend! I always enjoy hearing from a pal! I hope you like where I take this! Peace!  
**GothikStrawberry: **Well, I was really going for the more emotional side of Scott's death in the last chapter, so I don't blame you for feeling sad about it. I'm honored you think I did it so well and thank you very much for your kind comments on it because it took a lot of hard work! This is far from over so you'll just have to read on and find out how everybody learns to deal with the tragedy while learning about the true mystery at hand!  
**Darkness1: **I know Kurt feels bad, but who can blame him? He was the last person to see Scott alive and he feels he could have truly saved him, but he couldn't. Grief like that is hard to deal with, but trust me…This is just the beginning my friend! There's plenty to come with everybody's struggles at the mansion and far more concerning Mr. Sinister! Thanks for all your support old friend! You rule! Peace out!  
**KSimonT-X: **Thanks for your wonderful comments on all the work I put into my writing. I'm glad you see that I try so hard to write things that make people thing and create stories with true substance instead of just telling people what happens. There is so much more beneath the surface and there's so much worth telling and I'm glad that you take the time to acknowledge that my friend! As for Mr. Sinister, you'll find out soon enough what he's up to! Read this chapter and see for yourself!  
**Strayphoenix: **Hey! Always a pleasure to hear from somebody new! I'm honored that you've taken an interest in my story and just as you asked, I read and reviewed yours as well! It was great and I hope you enjoy my fic as much as I enjoyed yours!  
**Wolfy Ale: **Hey, it's great to hear from you! I've been so flattered with the fic you dedicated to me and I'm glad I can still enchant you with my stories! I'm glad you like this so far and I hope you like where I take it! Peace out!

Also, a special thanks to: **Reality Bender, Howlerdrode, Diaz F, X00001, Wen1, The Uncanny R-Man, Helen, Jenskott, Slim, Mark C, Rogue14, Telepathic Angel, Ingrid.**

**Also, I have a fic that I'm co-authoring with Agent-G called "Hellfire and Brimstone." It's got Jott, Romy, Wandurt, Kiotr, Loro, and plenty more! Please read and review it! Also, I have another ongoing fic on the adultfanfiction website, so if you want to, go to my profile and check that out as well! And don't forget to review!**

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The facility where Mr. Sinister and his henchmen were eagerly transporting the lifeless body of Scott Summers was no ordinary base of operations by any stretch of the imagination. On the outside, it looked like a rather expensive estate that some rich person would live in, but like the Xavier Institute…The inside of the building told a much different story. On the inside of this seemingly abandoned structure, laboratory and scientific equipment dominated every wall and every surface. No matter where one turned, they would see a computer terminal, barrels full of special chemicals, and machinery that looked like it was made for genetic experiments. But the level of technology that surrounded the inside of the estate was far beyond anything one would see in a normal lab. Every component visible looked as though it was 50 years ahead of it's time. Yet the intentions for this equipment remained a mystery…For everybody except Mr. Sinister.

While Sinister and the Nasty Boys were bringing up their prize to the main level, in another room in the estate…Two women who had been left behind on the mission for some reason casually sat at a table in what looked like a lounge area playing a game of cards.

One woman bore predominately Asian features, had long purple hair, and a very fit body that seemed built for combat and confrontation. But despite her Asian appearance, she spoke with a British accent. Her name was Elizabeth "Betsy" Braddock, also known as Psylocke. She came from a rich family in England, but the body she had was not the body she was born with. In a bizarre accident, she found herself used as a pawn by a shady group called The Hand, who had kept her alive after a deadly car crash because of her mutant telepathic abilities. Because of The Hand, her mind was taken from her dead body and placed into that of one of their female warriors known as Kwannon. After that, things got pretty messy.

Not only did she find out that she had Kwannon's body, but she also had her fighting skills and her mutant ability to form psionic blades. The Hand wanted to use her, but Betsy was not a woman who liked to be used. For months, she played The Hand in order to make them feel as though they had succeeded, but when they tried using her on a mission…She managed to make herself vanish, hoping that they would presume her to be dead and for the most part she succeeded in that. But even after escaping The Hand, that didn't change the fact that she was in someone else's body. While it was not a body any woman would have been ashamed to have, it still wasn't HER body. It had taken months for her family to believe that she was their daughter, but even after she was accepted by them it still didn't feel quite right. She tried using her new skills to her advantage by helping her brother, who was already an established heroic figure in Britain, but she still longed for her old body and self. And in the end…That's how she ended up working for Mr. Sinister.

While Betsy had little knowledge about Nathanial Essex, aka Mr. Sinister, he was quite enthralled by her thieving skills that she had carried out for her brother and came to her with a proposal she just couldn't turn down. In exchange for her services as a thief of highly sensitive and rare equipment, he would use his highly advanced technology to rebuild her old body and put her mind back in it. And of course, Psylocke jumped at the chance. Although she had grown somewhat use to her new body, the promise of having her old one back was just too good an offer to pass up. Sinister had showed her that he had genetic technology that hadn't even been dreamed of yet and if she wanted any hope of being in her old body again, she had no choice but to trust him…As crazy as she knew he was.

The other woman sitting across from her at the table was a very attractive and shapely blonde woman that looked to be in her early twenties. She bore a tight fitting white outfit that went well with the bright shade of blonde of her hair and her skin tone. Her attractive body was one that many would have aspired to have, but this woman already had it. Her name was Emma Frost, also known as the White Queen. Like Betsy, she was born into a fairly wealthy family in Massachusetts. Her upbringing was dominated by the grooming and education of her parents in hopes that she, her sisters, and her brother would one day inherit the family business and carry on their rich legacy. However, conflict in working to gain control of that business had torn her family apart. Relations between her sisters had devolved into one of pure rivalry and her brother had ended up engrossed in the world of drugs, prompting the inevitable overdose that later killed him.

All the tension in her family caused Emma Frost to walk away from it all. But in doing so, her parents and sisters shunned her and branded her a traitor to her family. Finding out that she was a mutant with powerful telepathic abilities didn't help much either, but her luck later changed after she started her own little company with the business knowledge that her family had taught her and joined a secret organization known as the Hellfire Club. The club was the cream of the crop of the elite and they aspired to attain only two things…Money and power. In joining, Emma felt as though she had bested her family and managed to gain the status of the White Queen, a name she still bares to this day. There, her mind for business made her invaluable and in return, she gained great control over her mutant abilities and even unlocked her hidden power to form a diamond hard shell around her body. However, these good times did not last for the young woman.

While she became a major asset to the Hellfire Club, she was not immune to the club's dark side. In the world of the Hellfire Club, the most common way of moving up was assassination. When it succeeded, one could move up…When it didn't, whoever was behind it would 'disappear' forever and a new position would be open. While Emma got her status through the latter, the dark nature of the club soon caught up with her as an assassination attempt on one of the members failed…And somehow she was thought to be the one behind it. Even though Emma pleaded her innocence and offered explanations, that didn't stop the club from stripping her of her position and openly pursuing 'punishment' for her crimes as only the Hellfire Club could do.

In the end, Emma's uncanny resourcefulness had saved her and she managed to escape the clutches of the club, but her name was now number one on the club's most wanted list. And being pursued by the Hellfire Club was almost always a death sentence. Since her family had abandoned her and allies had betrayed her, there was little she could do. That was until Mr. Sinister showed up. He offered her two things that she couldn't possibly turn down…Protection from the club and evidence proving her innocence. Such an offer was too great to turn down and of course…She accepted. But the price of working for this man had not come without its drawbacks. She quickly learned that Sinister was a few stars shy of a galaxy and the tasks he gave her and Betsy were not easy in the slightest. For months now, she had been forced to work with the Nasty Boys to steal cutting edge technological components, both legal and illegal in this country. But stealing wasn't an issue for Emma, or Betsy for that matter…They just wanted to get what Sinister had promised them.

Both young women were not at all as crazy about Sinister's intentions as the rest of his Nasty Boys. In fact, the only reason he probably recruited them was because he was currently in a state of undeclared war with Magneto…Whom he used to actually cooperate with until the Apocalypse incident changed the master of magnetism to the point where he was willing to take down Sinister and everything he was trying to accomplish. It was a curious matter, but neither Emma nor Betsy really cared about it. They didn't care what happened to Sinister as long as they got what they wanted out of their deal.

After living and working together for some months now, Emma and Betsy had developed a rather nice friendship as a result of their predicaments. While they often clashed over certain things, they did have a lot in common and they did enjoy having decent conversations with each other since nobody else in the Nasty Boys seemed very good at it. Overall, working for Sinister had it's moments of danger and it's moments of boredom. And right now…Both Betsy Braddock and Emma Frost were stuck in a state of boredom, casually playing a game of poker for what seemed like the fourth straight hour.

"Okay luv…What have you got?" said Betsy as she hid her cards from view.

Emma let a slow smile spread across her face as she looked at her cards.

"Looks like my winning streak still stands…Four Jacks," she proudly proclaimed as she laid her cards out onto the table.

Betsy, however, didn't seem too distraught over this and this time it was her turn to grin.

"Think again Emma…" said the purple haired mutant as she showed her cards, "Four Kings."

"What!" exclaimed Emma, "You bitch! You cheated!"

Betsy just laughed as she casually leaned back in her chair in triumph.

"Isn't it ironic? That's the second time you've been screwed over by kings," smirked Betsy, referencing her Hellfire Club past experiences.

"Don't remind me…" grumbled Emma as she simply threw the deck of cards back on the table.

Betsy still kept grinning, knowing that teasing each other about what they had done in the past always led to one of them being miserable and grouchy for the rest of the night.

"You see, this is why I don't like playing cards with you luv," said Betsy as she began to casually shuffle the deck, "You have got to be one of the sorest losers I have ever come across."

"Well I don't enjoy losing…" mumbled Emma.

"Of course you don't enjoy it! Nobody does," said Betsy as she rolled her eyes at her blonde friend, "You just take it to another level."

Emma didn't respond after that, instead she just shot the purple haired woman a venomous look to drop the subject. And thankfully, she did. Losing was not something Emma liked to experienced because every time she lost in her life, it lead to such immense and messy conflicts and the only logical way to avoid them in her mind was to win all the time. From her family to the Hellfire Club, losing was never an option…But she didn't tell Betsy that.

"Geez," said Emma with a deep sigh, "All this technology, decades ahead of it's time, and Sinister is still too cheap to get something as simple as a TV."

"I know…" groaned Betsy as she simply shuffled the cards, using it to pass as much time as she could in this state of boredom, "The bloody bloke won't even spring for some decent books unless they have something to do with Biology or Genetics."

"I hated science class in school," commented Emma, "Hell, I think I slept through every class I had even remotely related that shit."

"Well I just went the easier route and skipped those classes entirely," said Betsy, "And if the principal came along…A little telepathy and he was off my case."

"Well you didn't have a bickering family to deal with ever day, so what better place to catch up on sleep than school?"

The two young women simply sat in the deep silence of the estate, which never seemed to have anything to pass the time unless there was a mission. Lately, Sinister hadn't given them a whole lot of missions. And even though there was a mission tonight, he said that their skills were not needed and they were forced to sit it out…Much to their dismay.

"So do you know when Sinister and his whipping boys are coming back?" asked Betsy as she prepared to deal the cards.

"Your guess is as good as mine," said Emma with a tired sigh, "They've been gone all night."

"I still don't get why we couldn't come along on this one," said Betsy as she began dealing, "This place is so boring…I'd much rather be out there other than wasting away here with nothing to do."

"That was my logic…But Sinister said that this mission didn't require any additional help," scoffed Emma, "Or maybe he just doesn't trust us."

"Yeah, there's a big surprise," said Betsy, her words dripping with sarcasm, "Then again I don't trust that crazy son of a bitch either. I don't know what his mother did to him or how many times he was dropped on the head as an infant, but he's one psychotic bastard."

"Like it takes a degree from some rich prep school to figure that one out…" quipped Emma.

"But I don't give a damn if he trusts me or not. As long as helps me get my old body back like he promised, he could hate my guts for all I cared."

"I still don't understand what's wrong with the body you're in now," said Emma as she took the cards Betsy had dealt her, "Most woman would kill to have a body like that. Slim, fit, no fat…Why would you want to give that up? You could get tons of men to do you're bidding with a body like that."

"Speaking from experience Emma?" smirked Betsy suggestively.

"Please…" scoffed the White Queen, "Men are simple creatures that only think with their dicks the second they see something to with nice legs and big breasts. All the more reason to keep the body you have."

"Hey for your information…My old body wasn't that bad either," responded Betsy, "I actually did some modeling in my old body so don't think this one is any better."

"Can your old body form those psionic blades you play with so much?" asked Emma as she looked at her hand, not very enthusiastic about what she had.

"No, but that body was MINE," stipulated Betsy as she looked at her equally lousy hand as well, "Even if the one I'm in now is more attractive…It isn't the body I was born in."

"But still…You can't say that it would be a total loss if you couldn't go back," reasoned Emma as she drew three cards.

"I'll just have to wait and see with that," replied Betsy as she drew three cards as well.

The two women continued to play cards, not making much more comments here or there. They didn't know if Sinister was back yet and they could care less if he was. But they knew with each day they dealt with this man, the closer they came to getting what they wanted and never having to see his freaky face again. That is…If this crazy man held up his end of the bargain.

As they prepared to play another hand, suddenly…The elevator in the hall outside the room came to life and the heavy doors opened as Sinister and his henchmen stepped out.

"Emma, Psylocke…Come to the main laboratory," ordered Sinister as he passed the door, "The show is about to begin."

"Oh goody…" said Emma sarcastically as she and Betsy got up, eager to do something other than rot away in the lounge.

They both followed close behind Ruckus and Vertigo, but Sinister took the lead with Gorgeous George following close behind with the glass tube still being carried along with them. As the group made its way through a maze of corridors that resembled that of a hospital more than a home, they soon found themselves in the central lab where Sinister had set up the bulk of his machinery. The mad scientist seemed a bit more giddy than usual, but Betsy and Emma didn't show that much interest in it. They only hoped that with whatever mission that they seemed to have accomplished, it would bring them one step closer to fulfilling their part of the agreement and getting what Sinister had promised him.

"Set him over by the bio tank Gorgeous," ordered Sinister as he flipped a few switches, causing the vast array of computer terminals to come to life, "And get ready…The process is about to begin."

Having seen this area many times before, Betsy and Emma didn't look too thrilled about what was going on. Sinister had been working on these machines for quite some time now and every day brought a little something different to the mix. But this time…He had a certain component that he had never used before…A body. Curiously, both Betsy and Emma looked over at the glass tube containing the lifeless body of Scott Summers.

"So THIS is the mission you deemed too important for us?" scoffed Emma upon seeing the young man in tube.

Sinister merely chuckled at the White Queen's observation. No matter what he did, he always had to contend with Betsy and Emma's snide comments. For the most part, they did little other than annoy him…But with what he had now, his eagerness greatly overshadowed his capacity to feel anything other than excitement at this point.

"Do not insult me Emma…As important as this mission was, the fewer who partook in it…The better," quipped Sinister, not going into too much detail as he ran dozens of programs on the vast array of machines.

While the mad mutant scientist continued to prepare for the big test, Psylocke soon found herself looking over at the body in the glass tube. He didn't look any older than 19 and he also wasn't moving all that much. She had never seen him before, but in seeing how young he was the young psychic somewhat cringed at the thought of Sinister using him. But she didn't say a word about it…For her main focus was to get her old body back and the last thing she wanted to do was give Sinister any more reasons to dislike her. However, this didn't keep her from commenting.

"Is he dead?" asked Betsy as she tried to detect any signs of life in the clear glass tube.

Sinister let out a light chuckle as he the strange looking, oversized bio tank lit up and further illuminated the room.

"No…But he is the closest any living thing can possibly be," answered Sinister cryptically, "Any doctor or psychic would quickly pronounce him dead. Unfortunately for them, they don't have the level technology and know-how that I do."

"So he isn't dead?" said Betsy, still finding it somewhat hard to believe in looking at the unmoving body.

"No…But he isn't alive either," replied Sinister, "Thanks to the advanced phisioparalysis disrupter device I gave Gorgeous to use on the boy, he is now in the deepest possible coma anybody can ever be in. He's at the gates of the next world…But he can't go in…Not just yet."

As bizarre as working for Sinister had been, this was a new one for both Emma and Betsy as they looked at the boy in the glass tube. His body lay perfectly still and they could detect no signs of life via telepathy. Every normal sense in the human mind told them that this kid was dead, but somehow they doubted Sinister was stretching the truth.

From what both women could see, the boy looked as though he had been in some kind of struggle. The top part of whatever he was wearing had been completely blown off and he now lay completely bare-chested. The boots he was wearing had also been removed for some reason and the pants he was wearing were also torn in many places. His brown, chestnut hair looked a little messy, but remarkably there didn't seem to be any real wounds or scars on his body. It was strange, but then again…It was Sinister after all.

"So just who is this oh so important specimen that you've brought in?" said Emma, still not looking too thrilled about seeing another one of Sinister's eccentric experiments.

As annoying as the comments of the two women were becoming, nothing could taint Sinister's excitement about this moment. He had worked so long and hard for this moment…Longer than anybody ever could have imagined. And now that it was finally coming to pass, he wasn't about to let anything taint this moment that he had taken so much time and work to get to.

"That specimen my dear…Is the most important creature to come about in over 100,000 years of human evolution," answered Sinister as he began running the final programs, "For countless years, I have waited for this day. And it's not just me…Evolution itself has been clamoring for this moment when every mechanism and development over the course of 3 billion years of life all comes to ahead in this humble little laboratory."

The grand scale at which Sinister spoke was not unlike the usual babble that they heard him preach day after day, but something about the tone in his voice made this time very different. His usual patience and uncanny aptitude for cleverness seemed to give way to excitement, which only made the curiosity of both Betsy and Emma grow even further as Sinister continued to speak.

"My dear Nasty Boys," continued Sinister, "This day had been a long time coming. Everything I've had you steal…All the equipment, documents, and software that wrought many dangerous missions and situations…Is all about to culminate right here in this room. The machine you see before you is what I like to call…The Final Step. Throughout countless years of human evolution, both the body and mind of the species that has come to dominate this planet has been hindered and held back by countless limitations. In the thousands of years that have passed and all the development in culture and technology, human being still cannot let go of their old ape-like mentality. They hate, they kill, and fear anything that they cannot tame. It's really sad…"

"Like we haven't heard that little speech before…" muttered Psylocke, but Sinister chose to ignore it and continued.

"Mutants, as advanced as they are, still retain too much of their human counterparts' mentality. People like Magneto still hate and destroy like the animals they still are. The rest of you also fit into this category…But fear not, for this machine will change all that…Starting with this young man as a test subject."

Looking back down at the unmoving young man laying before them, it was hard to believe that what Sinister was implying all relied on such an insignificant looking being. Not having the knowledge of science and genetics that Sinister had, nobody in the room had any idea of what he was hinting at in describing this strange looking machine that he ominously referred to as 'The Final Step.' But whatever it did, it appeared that the young man in the glass tube would be the first to bear the full force of it.

"So just who is this guy that's going to be the big centerpiece for this whole 'experiment?'" said Betsy as several components, some of which she and Emma had personally stolen, lit up and added to the ominous feel of the machine.

"That you do not need to know," said Sinister as he looked back at the body of Scott Summers with a slight grin, "The less you know about him, the more comfortable you will be. Just know that he has everything I've been looking for in a test subject for this marvelous machine and once he goes in…We'll all know if our laborious efforts were in vain."

"And if this little experiment IS a success…Does that mean our terms of service are up and you'll give us what you promised?" asked Betsy.

"Patience Psylocke…Patience," coaxed Sinister in an all too calm tone of voice, "Both you and Emma will get exactly what you want after all is said and done here. If this experiment is a success…Then I will have no further need for you."

"Good…" said Emma, sounding more interested in the outcome of this experiment if it meant that she could finally be free from this man's service, "Just as long as you keep up your end of the bargain."

"Well on that…You'll just have to trust me," grinned Sinister, which only made the situation all the more unsettling.

Both Emma and Psylocke then fell silent, not wanting to delay or jinx any bit of this experiment, wanting earnestly to get it over with so that they could get everything they had worked so hard for. The last of the machines soon came online and the bio tank looked ready to go. Sinister grew all the more eager as he turned back to Gorgeous George.

"It's ready…Put the body in the tank," ordered Sinister.

The strong mutant obediently replied as he walked over to the glass container and hit a button on the side causing it to open. Then with one hand, George easily picked up the body and placed it in the empty glass tube and sealed the door. As soon as it was sealed and fully pressurized, Sinister hit a series of buttons and the experiment started. Betsy, Emma, and the rest of the Nasty Boys watched as the tank filled up with a strange green liquid. On monitoring screens that were strewn all over the area, vital statistics and readings of his genetic makeup and cell structure appeared in order to monitor the progress.

Several more components came to life as Sinister activated some of the advanced machinery that he had personally configured with technology and expertise well ahead of it's time. The hum of high voltage and the flash of strange light began to fill the area as the rest of the onlookers watched in anticipation.

"What in the bloody hell is happening?" asked Psylocke as she saw more lights come on and increasingly different readings on the monitors.

While his henchmen grew all the more curious over what they were seeing, Sinister remained calm with an eager grin as he watched the body in the tank become engulfed in the strange glow of the machines.

"There's no easy way to explain that to a mind uneducated in the realm of science," responded Sinister as sparks began to fly from the machines as the level of activity began to increase, "But think of it this way…In the world of mutants there have been many classes of division. The two most well known are the alpha and omega class. The alpha class, which all of you are, is the class where mutant powers manifest most clearly and visibly. There are five levels of alpha class and naturally, the higher the level the greater the power. There aren't many level five alphas out there. And unfortunately, even at higher levels the capacity for control of these powers is not always that great."

As the next phase began, the bio tank that contained the body of Scott Summers was engulfed in a strange, rainbow-like light. This forced the Nasty boys to shield their eyes, but Sinister continued talking, apparently not bothered by the lights.

"Level five alphas tend to be a danger to themselves and others if not properly controlled because the natural mechanisms that allow the body to control itself are off balanced by the X-gene. In a sense, they are incomplete mutations. And in the ultra-rare omega class…This is taken to the next step. The omega class is the poster child for immense power and even greater instability. To this day…The only omega class mutant to walk the Earth has been Apocalypse. Omega class powers are practically godlike, but unfortunately such levels of power are corrupting and detrimental to the mind. It drove Apocalypse insane and he tried to destroy the world…And at one point he nearly succeeded, thus exemplifying the true folly of the omega class mutant…"

Sinister then looked upon the image of DNA on one of the primary monitors and watched it began to warp in shape much to his elation. So far, everything was going as he had hoped. The experiment was going forth each step exactly as he had meticulously planned them many years before. While the rest of his henchmen remained bewildered by the sight, only he truly knew the significance of what they were witnessing.

"So evolution was at a paradox for the human race," continued Sinister as the noise in the room continued to build, "The alpha class is incomplete while the omega class in unstable…And that is where this machine comes in. The young man you see before you is undergoing a process of changes that no other living thing has ever undergone before. He is a relatively moderate level alpha class mutant. His X-gene gives him the mutant power to metabolize energy from the sun and convert it into photo-concussive blasts through his eyes."

'Hmm…Why does that sound so familiar?' thought Betsy, but she was unable to think any further about such thoughts as Sinister continued to talk and the experiment continued into the next step.

"He is a classic example of an alpha level mutant. His control and power is incomplete like the rest of the alpha level mutants out there. Like all mutants, he is an example of evolution at work as it tries to advance Homo sapiens to the next stage of existence. The X-gene is but a small piece of evolution that is unable to fully assimilate with the rest of the DNA in the body because of innate stubbornness of the molecule. Evolution in all its glory is a painfully slow process wrought with mishaps like incomplete alphas and unstable omegas. Yet were evolution ends…This machine begins."

Sinister hit several more buttons, causing a strange red light to surround the body in the bio tank. This was the most crucial step and it would either prove the experiment to be a success…Or it would kill the test subject.

"This machine…The Final Step…Is the culmination of a lifetime of research and aspiration. I have worked countless hours and poured vast amounts of resources into this machine in hopes of reaching this momentous event. This machine…Will do what evolution has taken far too much time to do and create the first of the next dominate species of this planet. When this young specimen exits the bio tank…He will no longer be mutant or human in a sense…He'll be so much more. Right now…This glorious machine is taking his X-gene and incorporating it into the rest of his genetic structure. And in doing so…The very function of his DNA is enhanced on all levels. Because over 99 of DNA is identical from person to person and much of that DNA isn't even used for anything, that leaves so many things left for such a marvelous molecule to do. This machine allows the X-gene to fully incorporate and accelerate what evolution would take thousands if not millions of years to do. Upon completion…The young man you see before you will have a genetic structure more advanced than any living thing that has ever evolved in the history of life. His body will be able to carry out its functions with unprecedented power and efficiency. Every cell in his body will be completely restructured to perfection…Every strand of DNA will become many times more complex and powerful than any human or mutant mind could ever hope to ascertain. His powers will go beyond simply tapping the energy of the sun…Instead he'll be able to tap ANY kind of energy the universe has to offer throughout his entire body."

"Sounds pretty powerful," commented Emma, as the readings on the screen grew all the more confusing to everybody except Sinister.

"You have NO idea Emma," smirked Sinister, "What most people don't realize is that there is enough energy within the volume of a coffee cup to evaporate all the world's oceans. Being able to tap just a fraction of that energy would give one power unlike anything that has ever been conceived of by man or mutant. In retrospect, this young man will be able to hold the power of a nuclear warhead in the palm of his hand and use it in any way he wants. Energy…Vast, limitless energy to manipulate and control as he pleases. He will be more advanced than alpha, but in total control unlike omega…He will be a new class onto himself. He will be a part of a new class that I have entitled…The delta class."

"Delta class?" said Psylocke, not sounding too impressed by it.

"Make no mistake…If all goes as I have planned, we'll be in the presence of the next dominant species of this planet in less than five minutes!"

It was a bold statement, but everybody present knew that Sinister never made claims that he wasn't willing too back up. The thought of standing in the presence of a new being more advanced than anything anyone had ever seen would definitely be a sight to behold. However, that all depended on whether or not Sinister's experiment did everything he said it would do. The man may have had knowledge many years beyond the rest of the world, but he was by no means perfect at everything he did. Both Besty and Emma could attest to that.

The light in the bio tank continued to glow as the hum of the machines grew louder and louder. All the while, the body of Scott Summers remained as still as ever even as it was engulfed in a slew of strange energies unlike anything anybody had encountered. Every cell in his body was being affected by this experiment and if he had been awake and fully aware…There was no doubt that it would be very uncomfortable for him. The mad grin on Sinister's face continued to grow as the final step of the process began and the moment of truth drew ever nearer. The lights became so bright that the rest of Sinister's henchmen had to shield their eyes from it. Images on the monitors began showing unusual readings since this was unknown territory for any human mind, mutant or not.

Alarms began going off and several warning signs began blaring on the monitors. The vital signs of the body were beginning to fail and the weakened state did little to help this.

"Sinister! What in the bloody hell is going on!" yelled Betsy over the noise.

Sinister, who began feverishly punching in commands on the computer terminal, didn't seem to be too anxious despite the urgency of the loud alarms, but judging by his actions they were not something to be taken lightly.

"Relax Psylocke…Everything is under control," he grunted in response as the final step neared completion.

The alarms continued to blare as the clock began the countdown to the end of the process. It still read one minute, but the alarms still wouldn't cease despite Sinister's fevered actions.

"I had a feeling this would happen…" said Sinister as he ran an emergency life support program, "He just needs to hang on a little longer…Just a little bit longer and it'll be done."

Seconds felt like hours as each one passed while alarms over the life support system continued to echo through the lab halls. Both Betsy and Emma, however, were the most anxious because the success of this experiment could make or break their terms of service with this madman.

"Oh no he's going to fail…" said Emma, not feeling very optimistic about the end result.

"Shut up!" shouted Sinister, "I anticipated this and I will NOT fail!"

30 seconds remained on the countdown and the vitals alarm was still going off as Sinister kept typing in commands on the console. Looking at the clock and the fading vitals, he knew that if the specimen didn't stabilize soon he would not survive the final seconds. But failure was not an option for Mr. Sinister. He was not about to let a lifetime of work end right. The rest of his Nasty Boys didn't look to enthusiastic about the progress of this most important of experiments, but Sinister didn't care what they thought. He KNEW that this experiment had to succeed…He had worked too long and too hard on this for it not to.

Then suddenly…With only 15 seconds left to go, the alarms stop and the vitals stabilized.

"There…Just as I anticipated," said Sinister with a grin as both Betsy and Emma breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

Both Emma and Psylocke looked at the mad scientist skeptically, not believing that this was something Sinister had planned to happen entirely. But as the alarms stopped and everything seemed okay once again, they had no reason to complain as the final seconds came and went.

"Finally…It is done," said Sinister in triumph as the lights stopped and the fluid within the tube drained away.

Then as everything began to clear up, Betsy, Emma, and the rest of the Nasty Boys gathered around the tube to take a look at the results of the experiment that Sinister had deemed so important.

As they took in the sight of the unmoving body, it was clear that Sinister's machine had done something. The body of Scott Summers was now quite different than it was at his arrival. Now, every muscle in his body from head to toe had grown and he was now an inch or two taller, yet everything seemed to be perfectly in proportion. Every muscle was big, but it didn't look oversized…It looked optimized. Sinister had boasted that when this young man came out of the machine, he would be a force like no other…The first of his kind. And from the looks of it, the experiment had worked. Now, as they stood before the new breed of mutant species that Sinister hoped would one day dominate the Earth, he felt an overwhelming sense of triumph…For his lifelong dream finally seemed to be standing before him.

"100,000 years of human evolution, yet it's barely tapped the sheer potential of the human species," proclaimed Sinister as he and his Nasty Boys stood before the finished experiment, "But on this night…Millions of years of time and growth have been condensed to a mere 5 minutes. The barbaric, unenlightened Homo Sapians that have dominated this planet for so long have had their chance…Now it is time for a new species to take over…My species…The delta class mutant. And standing before you…Is the first step towards ultimate evolution."

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AN: Well, that's it for now! Things have just taken a turn for the bizarre. The mansion is mourning the loss of their friend and leader, yet it never happened the way they think it did. Now Sinister holds the upper hand and so far, he's used them well. So what do you think Sinister has in store for Scott? Knowing him, it's never very promising. What about Emma and Betsy? What do you think will happen to them? Do you like how I've incorporated those two into the story? Please tell me! Send me your reviews via email or post them on the fanfiction website! I'd love to know what you think! Thank you all for reading my story and I wish everybody the best!

WAIT! SCROLL DOWN A LITTLE FURTHER! CLICK THE BUTTON! REVIEW!


	5. Erasing The Past

**Between Life and Death  
Chapter 5: Erasing The Past**

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Hey! It's that time again! But before I begin, a quick word to my reviewers!

**Howlerdrode: **I know you have a lot of questions my friend, but trust me…This is only just beginning. The situation is going to get a bit more complicated as you will read in this chapter! I hope you enjoy it! Thanks a ton for the review my friend!  
**Heartsyhawk: **Well you can probably guess Biology was one of my best subjects in school. As for Betsy and Emma, they are very necessary for what I have planned in the future, but unfortunately…It's too early for me to say just yet! I'm glad you like how I portray them. You know how I feel about character bashing. I hope to do a good job and to answer your question, yes, Remy will be in this story! Thanks as always for your wonderful review! I hope you continue to read and review my story! Peace out!  
**GothikStrawberry: **Glad you like how I brought Betsy and Emma into this. You'll see just what kind of role they play later on in the fic! As for what Sinister is doing to Scott, there are more answers in this chapter. But trust me…The situation is going to get a wee bit more complicated! And you're about to find out! Hope you like it! Enjoy!  
**Agent-G:** Yeah, thanks a lot for your help my friend. Without you, I doubt I would have had the ability to create a well balanced Betsy and Emma. As for the effects on Scott, you'll find some answers just ahead my friend! You rock man and thanks a ton for reading and reviewing my fic!  
**Tabee: **Sorry if you're still left with so many questions…But unfortunately, the situation is going to get a bit more complicated in the coming chapters. I hope this chapter lends you some answers and I thank you for your kind review! I hope I can keep up the suspense! Thanks for reading and peace out!  
**Sentoris: **Thanks a lot for your comments on my descriptions! I always like to do my homework on the things I write about and you can probably guess that biology was one of my best subjects! As for your lingering question, I think this chapter will help answer a few…While probably raising more. Thanks a ton for the review my friend!  
**Strayphoenix: **I don't like Emma for what she did in the comics either, but I don't wish to bash her. She's still a pretty interesting character and I want to do her justice just as I want to do with all the characters I use. I hate the situation in the comics now, but that doesn't mean it has to transfer into this! Thanks a lot for the review! Enjoy!  
**LadyDeathStrike1: **Sorry, no X23. But she will be in my next fic! And she will play quite a part! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this!  
**Simba317: **Wow, what a review! I'm speechless! Thanks for your comments on how I handled Betsy and Emma. I really wanted to do them both justice and trust me, they'll play a pretty major role later on in the story with what I have planned! As for what's happened to Scott, you'll just have to read on and find out! The answers are ahead and so is plenty of mad scientist action with the insane Sinister we all know and hate! Thank you SO much for the awesome review! I always enjoy them immensely! I hope you like what I have planned for this! Thanks again and peace out!  
**Randommarvelfan: **Yes, I know this story is a bit bizarre, but unfortunately…It's going to get a bit more complicated. Read on to figure out just what I mean! I'm glad you have found what I have done so far to be interesting and I hope you like where I take this! You rock my friend! Thanks for the kind reviews and peace out!  
**Ldypebsaby: **I know it's getting tense my friend, but trust me…It's not over by a long shot! It's going to get a bit more complicated with what I have planned so don't think the action and drama are over yet! This chapter should answer a few questions, but it may only raise more. Thanks for the multiple reviews my friend! I really appreciate it!

Also, a special thanks to: **Tim Digidestined of Loyalty, Telepathic Angel, Diaz, Wen1, Rogue14, Helen, Mark C, The Uncanny R-Man, X00001, Ingrid, Quillian, Half-breed, Otak the Canadian, KSimonT-X.**

**Also, I have a fic that I'm co-authoring with Agent-G called "Hellfire and Brimstone." It's got Jott, Romy, Wandurt, Kiotr, Loro, and plenty more! Please read and review it! Also, I have another ongoing fic on the adultfanfiction website, so if you want to, go to my profile and check that out as well! And don't forget to review!**

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The experiment was over and Mr. Sinister now stood in triumph at what he accomplished. With an eager look on his face, his eyes ran over the entire body of the specimen he had created. The body of Scott Summers was now the model of physical and genetic perfection. Looking at the monitors, his DNA structure had been completely altered and the computers were still trying to make sense out of them. The machine that had been created after over a lifetime of work and struggle had pushed the boundaries of science and was now in unknown territory. Sinister may have had technology 50 years ahead of its time, but this was by far his most advanced creation.

"So this is it?" said Emma as she looked over the changed man along with the rest of the Nasty Boys, "This is the great being you've been working your whole life to create?"

As annoying as Emma Frost's cynicism was, even that couldn't taint this moment for the mad scientist as he looked over his creation.

"Make no mistake about it…This young man is the culmination of everything both I and the rest of you have worked for this past year. His body is now enhanced more than Magneto ever could have done with his feeble machines. His DNA is now on a whole new level. And best of all…His powers are now more advanced than any other mutant on the face of this Earth. The power of the cosmic forces that give the universe such majesty…Are now all in the palm of his hand."

"Yeesh, quite a flare for the dramatics, don't you think so luv?" muttered Betsy under her breath to Emma, who simply nodded in agreement.

The rest of the Nasty Boys stood back as Sinister walked back over to the console and punched in the final commands to end the programs and shut down the machine.

"So what now?" asked Ruckus as Sinister brought up displays of vast amounts of new data on the computer screens.

"Now that we know that my machine works, I must make a few adjustments so that it will be ready for all mutants…Myself included," he grinned, "As soon as it's ready, some of you may even be able to partake in going through this most glorious transformation."

"I think I'll pass," said Betsy, not wanting to do any more for Sinister than she had to, "What about what you promised us? The experiment is a success."

"Indeed it was," replied Sinister with a somewhat mischievous tone, "But I still require some of your services before I cut you both loose of your obligations."

Both Emma and Betsy let out a frustrated sigh upon hearing that, for they both just wanted to get on with their lives.

"What more do you need from us?" groaned Betsy, "Isn't that new super mutant powerful enough to protect you and your precious experiments from Magneto and his Acolytes."

"Don't patronize me Psylocke!" shot Sinister in response, "I do not fear that cumbersome bucket brained fool! After the incident with Apocalypse, both he and that shape shifting bitch he's been hanging around with have gone too soft and have forgotten the goals we once helped each other work with."

"So then why did you need us in the first place?" quipped Emma with a snide grin, "If you're not afraid of him, then why did you need us to cover your ass all those times this past year?"

"Assurance Emma…" answered Sinister, "My Nasty Boys are strong, but I couldn't allow Magneto to slow down that which I worked so hard to attain. And this experiment shows how he and his band of misfits have failed. Now all that's left is to confirm that this machine did everything I wanted it to do. And then…Your obligations will have been met and you will both get what you so greatly desire."

As much as Betsy Braddock and Emma Frost hated listening to and working with this man and his mindless mutant drones, the lingering desire that they had overshadowed that frustration at the moment. With a disgruntled look that brought great amusement to Vertigo, Ruckus, and Gorgeous George, the two young women knew they had no other choice other than to yield.

"Okay…So what do you want us to do?" said Betsy, obviously disgruntled.

With a humored laugh, Sinister began running his diagnostic programs from the experiment and walked back over to the tank were the body of Scott Summers was still standing motionless.

"Gorgeous…Take him to sector 8," he ordered as his loyal henchmen quickly complied and he turned back towards Betsy and Emma, "You two now must deal with the task of altering his appearance. Do what you have to with the tools I have provided…Just make him look different so that when he wakes up he'll have no clue as to who he was in the past."

"You mean just give the guy a makeover?" said Emma with an unbelieving look, "Is this a sexist thing or something?"

"Don't toy with me Emma…" said Sinister sternly, "It is unwise to overestimate your worth with me…Otherwise I may change my mind about our agreement."

That got both women to keep their mouths shut, not wanting to deviate their chances when they were so close to getting what they had worked so hard for.

"Now go…Do as you're told," he reiterated, "Change his appearance…Do what you have to. Just don't keep questioning my actions before my very generous patience begins to wane."

Upon issuing his final warning, Sinister turned back to his machines and left Betsy and Emma to follow Gorgeous George to sector 8 while Ruckus and Vertigo proceeded to help their boss with whatever he was doing on the computers.

"Come on Emma…Let's just get this over with," said Betsy as she saw the disgruntled look on her friend.

* * *

While Sinister was going over the result of his momentous experiment and Betsy and Emma were busy altering Scott's physical appearance so that nobody he knew would ever recognize him…Outside, the quiet of the night that had permeated for hours was suddenly shattered by the appearance of six metal orbs that descended from the heavens and landed a rather long distance away from the seemingly uninhabited mansion. The landing was silent and the only the sound of the wind rustling the trees under the darkness of a cloud covered sky could be heard. No moon was visible and the light conditions were very poor…Perfect for what the inhabitance of the metal orbs had in mind.

As they opened, six ominous figures proceeded to step out into the dark night as they eyed the mansion with intent. Out of one sphere…Sabretooth, a big, growling, animalistic man with big muscles and a fierce gaze stepped out. Out of another…St. John Allerdyce, aka Pyro, a red haired man with a heavy tank full of fuel and two flame throwers on each wrist quickly followed his feral friend. Out of another…Remy Lebeau, aka Gambit, a strong, skilled, Cajun thief from New Orleans stepped out into the night with a bow staff in hand and many decks of cards safely tucked away in his pockets ready for battle. Out of another…Piotr Rasputin, aka Colossus, a Russian born mutant with a tall stature and even bigger muscles joined his comrades in full metal skin, ready to fight. Out of another…Raven Darkholm, better known as Mystique, a blue skinned woman with the ability to shift and change into anyone she desired emerged from one of the metal spheres with a look of intent prevalent in her eyes. And finally…Eric Magnus Lensherr, known better to others as Magneto, stepped out and joined his team of mutant acolytes, prepared to lead them in this fight.

"Are you sure he's in there Eric?" asked Mystique as she and the others looked at the darkened building before them.

"Positive Raven…" answered Magneto with confidence, "Sinister may be cunning in his hiding skills, but he is far from perfect at it. I know he's in there. I don't know what he's doing or if he's got everything he needs to complete his machine…But he's in there."

"Den I think we better see if de good doctor makes house calls," grinned Gambit, "He'll need one of his own after I get through wit' him."

"Don't get cocky Gambit," said Magneto, "Remember the plan…We have to find out the progress of his machine and destroy it if necessary. And in doing so, we may have to use different tactics than before. Understood?"

"Da…" said Colossus as he looked at the darkened house in anger, knowing in his gut that Sinister was in there.

"Good…Then you had best get into position Colossus," said the master of magnetism, "You too Raven…We have to be careful with this one. We have no idea how far Sinister has gone in his insanity."

"Well speaking from personal experience…" said Mystique as she prepared to follow Colossus to their designated points, "I'd say he's too far as it is."

"I wouldn't be surprised…" muttered Magneto as both Mystique and Colossus disappeared from view and began working their way around up to the side of the mansion, careful not to trip any alarms that Sinister may have planted for them.

The master of magnetism continued to scope out the target area. With his magnetic powers, he could sense an unusual amount of electromagnetism in the area…Hinting that a great deal of electricity was being used for a building that looked uninhabited from the outside. Sabretooth, Gambit, and Pyro waited impatiently for the final order to advance on the structure. For over a year now, they had been fighting against Mr. Sinister and his Nasty Boys alongside Magneto. Even after what he had them do in the past…They were willing to put such things behind them in spite of what he had offered them this time around. For others…Like Magneto himself…There was a personal stake in this fight. He had his reasons for wanting to stop Mr. Sinister…A man he had once worked with in the past and so did many of his henchmen.

Apocalypse had greatly changed both him and Mystique on that fateful day over nearly a year ago. Many things were different now and the experience that they faced had forever altered their perceptions on their lives and the world. Now they were fighting to rectify some of the things in their lives that they had been meaning to do for quite some time now. And standing before them…Was just one of them.

"So when do we attack?" said Pyro eagerly as he prepped his flame throwers for battle.

The master of magnetism let out a deep sigh as he contemplated the task at hand. Fighting Sinister this past year had been a challenge to say the least…One that he never would have anticipated being so difficult. But he was not about to let this man do what he intended…Not after everything that had transpired in his long, illustrious life. This past year, Magneto had been fighting battles he never thought he would be fighting…Yet here he was. He had many reasons for doing this that he knew and there were far more that he was still trying to make sense out of…But he pushed such thoughts to the back of his mind for the time being, knowing he would have to stay focused on the battle at hand.

"Soon Pyro…" answered Magneto in a deep voice, "But we must wait for our window. Sinister may be a madman, but he's no idiot. He's cocky, manipulative, and thinks he's got the upper hand right now. But like all arrogant fools…He's greatly underestimated his enemies. Right now…He's not expecting us. So we must maintain the element of surprise. Otherwise, we may not get another chance like this."

Looking back at his eager comrades, the master of magnetism couldn't help but feel their eagerness. But at the same time, he knew that this was a delicate undertaking. Not use to being the underdog, the old holocaust survivor simply hoped that nobody slipped up this time around.

'Hiding in the shadows waiting to stop a madman…' thought Magneto as the time to attack drew near, 'Now I know how Charles must feel.'

* * *

Back in Sinister mansion, Betsy and Emma were now hard at work on carrying out the task that they had been given. But unlike previous assignments, this one didn't involve stealing or infiltrating. Instead, they were now supposed to make Sinister's latest creation look as different as possible. Given the advanced tools that Sinister had that were many years ahead of their time, this wasn't too hard. But with every step made, it brought them closer to getting back what they both had sought for so long now.

The still lifeless body was now flat on a metal table as Betsy and Emma continued their work. Gorgeous had changed the young man out of the torn pants he had on during his arrival and was now simply in a pair of baggy, camouflage pants. The task of giving the man a makeover wasn't at all something that either of them would have found too annoying, given their knowledge of changing and maintaining looks in their past. It was an opportunity to use their imagination and shape this new creature into something special.

Following on Sinister's request, Betsy had taken on the task of changing the young man's hair with the advanced chemicals Sinister had to make it permanent so that nobody would suspect it wasn't his natural hair color. She also used another rare chemical Sinister gave them to make his hair grow longer so she could braid it into blonde dread locks. For Emma, she started off by injecting a chemical into his throat that would thicken his vocal chords so his voice would be slightly deeper. After that, she used some of Sinister's other 'toys' to her own advantage and decided to give the young man a new array of tattoos using the advanced machinery at her disposal to make them detailed and permanent. Emma, having other skills that ranged outside of business, chose designs she had seen on rock stars as a teenage girl. She used dragons, waves, and anything else that would add to the design that ran along his lower torso, which she would supplement with classic bare wire looks on the his arms for a more 'dangerous' feel.

As Betsy watched her blond friend go crazy with the tattoo designs, she couldn't help but grin.

"What?" said Emma, looking up from her work to see the humored expression on the purple haired mutant's face, "Why do you look so smug?"

"Oh nothing…" smiled Betsy as she continued braiding the young man's hair into dread locks, "It's just that…I can understand the voice thing…But tattoos?"

"Simple dynamics…" answered Emma as she continued working on the design, "Hair and voice are simply substance, and in this world you need style as well. And what better way than good old fashioned body art?"

"You know…I think you're having too much fun with this Emma," said Betsy with a smirk.

"Well you have to admit, this is one of the less annoying tasks that Sinister has given us in all the time we've been here," responded the young woman.

"True…But I don't think tattoos are what he had in mind when he said he wanted his appearance changed," she answered.

"Well he never said anything about not adding them," reasoned Emma, "Besides…Don't you think they make him look more dangerous and symbolic of the new power Sinister claims he wields?"

"Are you sure you're just not doing this as an excuse to make a man the way you want him?" said Betsy, still teasing her blond friend much to her dismay.

"Oh come on Bets…You can't say you're not just a little bit intrigued with this project," said Emma as she put down the tattoo needle and began to run her hands along the strong, powerful new muscles of the young man before her, "I mean it's not everyday you get a chance to work on molding a man into the way you want him."

"I know, but it's not like building him from scratch," said Betsy in response, "Sinister made this guy and we're just handling the aesthetics."

"Oh details, details…" scoffed Emma as she continued to trace her fingers along the ripped body before her, caressing the biceps that felt as hard as rocks, "It's still a chance to take a man and make him look any way we want. You can't tell me that you haven't dreamed about something like that before."

Betsy didn't answer to that, but as she continued work on the hair she noticed a small grin form upon Emma's face as she continued to trace patterns all long the unmoving body that lay before them. The presence of a muscular, bare-chested man that now bore a new hairstyle and an array of new tattoos was definitely an arousing feeling. Neither of them knew who this young man was before he came here, but that only added to his mysterious and lure.

"Say…" mused Emma as her tone shifted into a more sultry voice, "Sinister said that EVERY function of his body has been enhanced by the experiment…"

"Emma…" said Betsy, knowing where she was going with this.

"Do you really think he means…EVERY function?" she mused as she traced her hands down his ripped abs, the smile on her face getting bigger by the moment.

"Emma…" repeated Betsy, not succeeding in breaking the young woman's sexy train of though.

"If he really is an advanced mutant with more power and strength than any mutant before them…Do you think that would extend to 'other' areas?" she grinned as her hands seemed tempted to go lower.

"Emma, don't think I don't know where you're going with this…" said Betsy, although such words seemed to fall on deaf ears.

"I didn't intend for you not to…" replied the blond telepath, the sultry tone in her voice not changing, "I'm just saying…If Sinister says that every part of his being has been enhanced…Then can you imagine what he must be like during sex?"

"Oh I'm sure you can fantasize," quipped Betsy with a grin as she saw Emma continue to trace patterns around the hard, strong muscles of the unconscious man before her.

"Oh I can do more than that…" said Emma, "I'll bet he has stamina like no other. His mind could be so focused that he could easily hit every possible pleasure nerve in a woman's body. And with such an advanced form…I bet he can stay at it and keep a girl aroused and satisfied for hours on end."

Betsy didn't respond and simply shook her head with a humored grin on her face as she finished up some of the last parts of the hair. Since she had known Emma, she had made no qualms about her sensual side. But showing it at a time like this was just plain strange…Even if she did admit that the blond telepath might have a point in her observations.

"Hey…I wonder if Sinister will let us both give him a 'test drive.' You know…Just to make sure that every one of his natural functions is in working order," said Emma as her hands drifted back down to his abs.

"Fat chance…You know Sinister," said Betsy in response, "He'll never let us do anything even remotely fun. As smart as the man is…I don't think 'fun' is even in his vocabulary. Add to that…I don't think he would want to risk tainting his precious creation."

"Gee…Thanks for breaking a girl's fantasy," scorned Emma as she looked back at her smug friend, who remained focused on the man's hair.

"Sorry luv…But it's the truth," said Betsy.

"But still…Say we did get the chance," questioned Emma with a grin, "Would you want to take a ride?"

Betsy hesitated briefly, but that didn't surprise Emma. The young woman seemed too focused on the guy's hair to even take in the nice sight before them. And knowing Betsy was certainly no prude, she knew that there had to be a reason.

"Well…I can't say I wouldn't," admitted Betsy finally.

"Took you long enough to answer," said Emma as she finally resumed her tattoo work, "I don't see what there is to think about. Me personally…I haven't had a man since I left the Hellfire Club over a year ago. And I haven't had a DECENT man in even longer. It's not healthy for young women of our age."

"Well once this is over I'm sure you'll have plenty of catching up to do," joked Betsy.

"But still…That doesn't answer my question on why you actually hesitated before answering," replied Emma, not allowing the purple haired mutant to turn this around on her, "I know you have a lustful side just like me and being telepathic, I can safely say that given the chance…You probably would."

Betsy wanted to respond, but also didn't want to give her anything else to work with. Despite this…Emma continued.

"But unlike me…You brush the possibility aside as if it weren't relevant. Now I don't see how a gal like you would want to pass up simply fantasizing about a fine specimen like this…Unless there's someone else out there."

The look on Betsy's face immediately shifted, knowing where Emma was probably going with this. In seeing her change, the blond telepath knew she struck a chord, as uncomfortable as it made Betsy.

"Not this again…" she groaned as she stopped what she was doing briefly.

"And that someone else wouldn't happen to be a striking young man with blonde hair and wings now would it?"

"Emma…You know I don't want to talk about this," said Betsy, not at all in the mood for this topic.

"You say that every time I imply something related to Mr. Warren Worthington III," said Emma as she pushed further, "You always seem to mention him, but you never go into detail in all the free time we've had at this little gig here."

"Well I have my reasons…" said Betsy as she shot her another menacing glare.

"Come on…We may not get another chance to talk about it," reasoned Emma, "Why is it that every time this subject arises you turn into a poster girl for PMS?"

"Hey, I don't pester you about your 'flings' at the Hellfire Club…" replied Betsy quickly, but was soon cut off before she could finish.

"Oh bullshit Betsy, you know as well as I do that you're just making excuses now," said Emma, knowing she was winning out.

Betsy tried to think of a response, but she just couldn't…And she hated admitting when Emma was right.

"So unless you want to drag this out anymore, just tell me what the hell happened that got you so hung up about this guy," said Emma, "You said you two were together and happy…So what happened? Did you catch him cheating or something?"

"What! No!" said Betsy quickly in response, "Warren's not that kind of man! He would never do that!"

"Was it drugs? Did he take something from you? Was the sex not good enough?" said Emma, just throwing ideas out at this point.

"No, no, and definitely no!" said Betsy sternly, tired of being pestered about this, "Sex was never a problem at all and neither was love. I'm telepathic just like you…I know we had a lot of love between us."

"Then what? Unless you want me to take more guesses," said Emma with a grin, hoping that threat would be enough.

Betsy just let out a deep sigh as she recalled the man she had been so happy with before she got involved with Sinister's plots. Not wanting to hear Emma's guesses, she decided that she might as well come clean since their terms of service were so close to being over.

"We had a fight, okay?" she finally answered.

"A fight?" said Emma skeptically, "That's it? No infidelity, no problems with love…Just a fight? What happened? Did he hit you or something?"

"What! Of course not!" shot Betsy, appalled by Emma even thinking that a man like Warren would strike her or anybody else for that matter, "Warren's not that kind of man!"

"Well excuse me for being kept in the dark!" justified Emma, not knowing anything about the situation and having only speculation to go on, "Just what was the fight about then? Was it really so bad that it caused you to run off and join Mr. Sinister?"

Betsy didn't know how to reply, for she had always struggled with words when it came to relationships…Especially the one she shared with Warren. Her hesitation only further fueled Emma's curiosity, for she had known Betsy to be hung up about this since they met.

"It's complicated…" she finally answered, not having better words to go on.

"Well, how so?" asked Emma, "If there was love and plenty of good times to go around then what was there to fight about?"

Betsy fell silent again, this time the expression on her face becoming quite different. Emma, knowing her capacity to read expressions, saw a hint of confusion and sadness fall over her…Something she would never expect from somebody like Betsy. At first it took a minute…But it soon quickly dawned on her.

"Do you even remember what the fight was about?" asked Emma, a look of near bewilderment growing on her face.

Betsy still didn't respond, but her hesitation was enough for Emma.

"You don't…Do you," said Emma.

"Like I said…It's complicated," said Betsy, finally breaking her silence, "We got into a fight about…Something. We started yelling…Words were exchanged…And I stormed out. Haven't seen him since…"

"Did you start the fight?" asked Emma.

She hesitated again, but that had already proven to be a dead giveaway to Emma the more she listened.

"No!" replied Betsy.

"You hesitated…You did start it," said Emma with a grin, "You started a fight with your man…And you stormed out the door because you didn't get your way. And on top of that…It was your fault!"

"It wasn't MY fault!" shot Betsy in response, "Warren's a very complicated man!"

"And you're a very complicated woman last time I checked," quipped Emma in response, "No wonder you two hooked up."

"Hey…My relationships are none of your business Emma," said Betsy, trying to stay calm, "Why in the hell are you pestering me about it anyways?"

"Curiosity I guess…But now that I know, I just want to ask you one last thing and I'll drop it…"

"Okay…What?" said the purple haired mutant with an exasperated sigh.

"If you love him, you miss him, and you know that you started the fight…Then why don't you call him?" she asked.

Elizabeth Braddock didn't like being asked that question any more than she liked trying to find the answer. She had been asking herself the same thing for God knows how long. As much as she hated being weak in the face of conflict, this was something she knew she had brought upon herself. And being the stubborn woman she was…She just couldn't bring herself to admit when she was wrong.

"I don't know…" she answered simply.

"You don't know?" said Emma, now looking quite humored but this situation, "So am I to understand that you threw away a man who was kind, caring, rich, good looking, good in bed, and a gentlemen…All because of your stupid pride? All because you were just too scared to pick up the phone and admit that you were wrong!"

Then, much to Betsy's dismay, Emma started laughing. But it was hard to fight it…For it was kind of humorous for the young blond to think about since she had always known her friend to be stubborn. But for something like this…It was just too much.

"STOP LAUGHING!" yelled Betsy angrily.

But Emma didn't stop…She couldn't if she wanted to. The more she laughed, the more frustrated Betsy became, but Emma wasn't done yet.

"And is that part of the reason why you want your old body back?" she asked, still laughing as she talked, "Not just because you miss it…But because it would give you an excuse to start fresh with him and not have to face the scrutiny of being the one who started it!"

"Shut up!" she demanded, "You know why I'm here! It's because I want my old body back! Warren has NOTHING to do with it!"

"Yeah, sure…Nothing," said Emma, still laughing.

Betsy let out a frustrated grunt as she simply stopped talking and resumed working on the unconscious man's hair. Emma took some time to catch her breath before finally regaining her composure. She had to admit, she hadn't laughed like that in some time…But in hearing Betsy, someone who she always thought of as being independent and a lot more in tuned with right and wrong than her, talk about the reason why she stormed out on her man, it was just too much. She gave away a perfectly decent man just because she didn't want to admit that she was wrong…Even Emma knew she personally wasn't that stubborn. But it did finally explain a few things that had always troubled her about Betsy.

When the laughter finally died down, Emma returned to making the finishing touches on the tattoos on the young man's body.

"You should call him you know…" said Emma, breaking the silence.

"Shut up…" replied Betsy, still bitter with anger.

"Hey, I'm just telling you as a friend that if you don't swallow your pride and call him…I know that there are probably many more women out there that would love to get their hands on that angel's wings."

To Emma's surprise, Betsy didn't respond angrily to that. If anything, it helped change her expression from one of anger…To one of sorrow and longing.

"Now I know you think of me as a stereotypical blonde," continued Emma, "But if there's one thing I know, it's is that a good man is a very hard thing to find…And once you have someone you know is worth keeping, you had best not throw him away because there's a good chance you may never meet anybody else like him for as long as you live. So take my advice…Call him."

As much as Betsy hated to admit it…Emma was right in many ways. She may not have been the most knowledgeable person on love…But she wasn't stupid. Betsy had come to know Emma's many sides over the many months since they had become friends and as stubborn a woman as Betsy knew herself to be, she knew Emma Frost was right no matter how she tried to interpret it.

"I'll…Consider that," said Betsy in deeper, calmer voice, "Let's just finish up the task at hand, okay?"

This time, Emma simply nodded and didn't say another word. She had found out what she wanted and had offered her opinion and advice on it. If after all this, their term of service was over and they were able to return to their normal lives…She would certainly like to find out if Betsy would heed her words. But as the purple haired telepath finished up her work in silence…She made a vow that she would call Warren when all this was over. Times had been tough for both Emma Frost and Betsy Braddock…But in the end, they just wanted their lives back. And unfortunately, the only one that seemed to be able to give them this was Mr. Sinister.

* * *

While Betsy and Emma were finishing up the changes to the body, Mr. Sinister and the rest of his Nasty Boys stood before one of the many computers that the laboratory had. This particular terminal was a networked nerve center for information gathering that Sinister often used to get information about machinery and people. And since much of the computing technology he had was well ahead of it's time, pretty much any information was within his grasp. But this time…He wasn't simply trying to find information…He was trying to create it.

"It won't be long now…" mused Sinister as he began typing the final commands on the keyboard, "Soon, my creation will be ready for combat…And Magneto will be as good as done for."

"But I thought you said that the results of the experiment were different than you had expected," said Vertigo as a nearby printer began printing out a slew of documents.

"They were," replied Sinister, "But as with every experiment, there were some things that could not be foreseen. However, the machine accomplished what it was supposed to. The specimen is now a delta class mutant."

"Then what was different?" said Ruckus, not understanding a bit of the dizzying array of data that Sinister was absorbing on the computer screens.

Sinister looked back at the unusual strand of DNA that was shown on the computer. While his henchmen struggled to fully grasp what had just happened, Sinister was enthralled to be looking at this work of art that his genius had created.

"The only part that was different was the effect on the brain," answered Sinister, "The enhancement process gave his brain a complex new structure with even greater communication between cells. But in looking at his enhanced brain waves, it appears that the human side of his mind was not at all erased or changed…From the looks of it, that part was only enhanced in some aspects and not all."

"Is that a good or bad thing?" asked Vertigo.

"Neither…It really doesn't matter anyhow," grinned Sinister as he finished his task on the computer., "Once I erase his memories and restructure his mind, such enhancements will not make a difference. As soon as I mold his mind to my will, his human side will become as irrelevant as the rest of the unevolved masses that he is destined to replace."

As the final sheet printed out near the computer, Sinister quickly organized the stack and placed it into a regular looking folder. Then as he looked through it, a feeling of triumph soon took over.

"Excellent, it's done…The paper trail of the man he once was has officially frozen and I have created a new persona for the young specimen. Now all that's left is his mind…"

As soon as he finished those words, Betsy and Emma entered the room, rolling the motionless body along on a gurney. They had finished their task and hoped that now they could finally get what they had worked for after months of service to this madman. Both women just wanted to go home and get on with their lives. However, after having gotten to know Sinister they were still prepared to expect the unexpected.

"It's done Essex…" said Betsy as she and Emma wheeled the body into the center of the room not far from the now empty bio tank.

As the gurney was adjusted so the body stood more upright, Sinister took in the new appearance of the young man and grinned in approval.

"Blonde, dread lock hair…Tattoos…Nice job ladies," said the mad scientist as he looked over the now completely changed Scott Summers, "I hardly recognized him now from how he looked when he first arrived."

"We altered his voice too," added Emma, "He'll sound different as well."

"Perfect…Now all that remains is the final task," grinned Sinister as he began punching in commands on the computer once more.

"And then you'll give us what you promised?" said Betsy, eager to get the hell away from this man as soon as possible.

"Of course…" said Sinister with an insidious grin, "I am a man of my word. But until that time come…Sit back and enjoy the show!"

As Sinister hit a series of other buttons, a strange looking helmet with numerous wires and electrodes coming out of it descended from the ceiling. Gorgeous George then proceeded to attach it to his head as Sinister prepared the final program for his ultimate creation.

"So how long is this going to take?" asked Emma, looking noticeably eager for everything to be over with this seemingly unending experiment.

"Not long…" said Sinister as the mechanical helmet began to hum with activity as it started to go through the mind of Scott Summers, erasing the memories of his past, "Thanks to his enhanced body, he will gradually come out of his deep coma within a day or so…But when he does, he won't have any memories of the man he was. I have already used my technology to erase his predecessor's paper trail and start a new one that is indistinguishable from the real thing. Now…He has a new name and a new life…With me. And once his memories and emotions are erased…The man he was will be truly dead, and only a new man will remain…Blake Hellstrom, codename: Blaze."

* * *

AN: Well, I'll leave it there for now. So now Sinister is trying to erase Scott Summers and create somebody new…Blake Hellstrom. A new name and a new identity…Do you think there's any hope for him now? And what about Magneto and his acolytes? What angle do you think they play in all this? And how did you like my way of bringing Betsy and Emma in? I felt that those two would make an interesting duo in this fic and rest assured that they will play a large part in future chapters! I know there are a lot of questions remaining, but there are plenty of answers to come! So what do you think so far? Do you like my story and do you want to read more? Please tell me! Send me reviews via email or post them on the fanfiction website! I appreciate all feedback! Thanks for reading and I wish you all the best!

REVIEWS…SLICKY NEEDY REVIEWS!


	6. Expecting The Unexpected

**Between Life and Death  
Chapter 6: Expecting The Unexpected**

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* * *

Time for another update! But before that, a quick word to my reviewers!

**GothikStrawberry: **Expect the unexpected with Sinister my friend. And it's not over yet! This chapter will show just how rough it's going to get for Scott/Blake, so this is only the beginning! I'm glad you like Emma and Betsy's part. Trust me, they'll continue to play a major role in this fic! I hope you like where I take this! Thanks for the review!  
**Agent-G: **Like I said, expect the unexpected with this my friend. It's going to get pretty complicated and there will be plenty of details left to reveal all in due time. As for a scene…I think I may have to save that for a side fic someday. But it's definitely something to consider! As for what's going to happen to Scott's mind, you'll just have to wait and see my friend! And trust me, there's a lot to come! Thanks a ton my friend! It's always great hearing from you! Peace out!  
**Simba317: **Of course I love your reviews! Nobody else leaves them like you do. I know you hate Sinister now after what he's done…And I can't promise you'll like him any better with what he does later on. Magneto and the Acolytes will definitely add to the chaos and you'll see just how crazy it's going to get with this chapter! As for what happens to Scott/Blake, you'll just have to wait and see! Thanks a lot for the excellent review my friend. I hope you like this chapter and where I take it! Peace out!  
**Darkness1: **I know it's a strange concept my friend, but I want to make this story unique. I haven't seen this done to its fullest extent before and I want to be the one to do it. And believe me, I do have a plan for all this. I know where it's going and I know how it's going to pan out. I hope it comes into perspective with later chapter because believe me, there are plenty more to come! Thanks a bunch for the review old friend. It's always a pleasure hearing from you. You rule! Peace out!  
**Aniki19: **Yeah, Scott's one of my favorite characters too, and he'll most certainly play a major part in this fic as it progresses. I'm glad my story stood out to you and I'm honored that you have enjoyed it so much thus far. I really appreciate your sentiment and I hope you continue to read and enjoy my fic. Your words mean a great deal to me and I can't thank you enough. Thanks for the review and I hope you enjoy where I take this!  
**Sentoris: **Don't worry, the suspense is just beginning my friend! This chapter will further add to the chaos along with some serious action! You'll see what I have in store for Scott and what part Psylocke and Emma will play later on! Thanks as always for the kind review my friend! Your sentiment is always appreciated!  
**Randommarvelfan: **I'm glad you liked the development of the last chapter. But with this chapter…Expect more action and twists than anything else! As for what's going to happen with Scott and his 'enhancements'…Well, you'll just have to read on and see for yourself my friend! Thanks for the review my friend! Peace out!  
**Lyranfan: **Hey! Thanks a lot for all the reviews on my chapters. I'm glad you like the unique idea I've presented with this story. I'm really eager to see it through and I hope you continue to read and enjoy it. Thanks a lot for your kind feedback and I hope you like the coming parts!

Also, a special thanks to: **Rogue14, X00001, Diaz, Telepathic Angel, Ldypebsaby, Ingrid, Mark C, Wolfe ale, S-Summers1986, Extrater2estrial.**

**Also, I have a fic that I'm co-authoring with Agent-G called "Hellfire and Brimstone." It's got Jott, Romy, Wandurt, Kiotr, Loro, and plenty more! Please read and review it! Also, I have another ongoing fic on the adultfanfiction website, so if you want to, go to my profile and check that out as well! And don't forget to review!**

* * *

Outside the darkened mansion, Magneto and his Acolytes seemed poised to attack the complex where Mr. Sinister was carrying out his bizarre experiments. As they stood in the clearing near the perimeter of Sinister's elaborate defenses, Magneto held up his hand, signaling for everybody to stop.

"This is as far as we can go…" said Magneto, "Sinister has the place rigged…I can feel it."

"It don't take no psychic to figure dat one out," grinned Gambit as he stood next to an eager Pyro and Sabretooth.

"Indeed…" said Magneto in agreement, "But we must proceed carefully. We may not get another shot at this."

Just then, a sudden voice echoed through and electronic ear piece that Magneto had built into his helmet and he got the news he was waiting for.

"Eric," said Mystique through the communicator, "I'm in position and so is Colossus."

"Was the security any problem?" inquired the master of magnetism, eager not to have any slips ups with this attack.

"Oh please…You know I'm too good for that," replied Mystique confidently.

"Just don't get too cocky," warned Magneto, "Sinister is a man full of surprises. Be on your guard and don't begin your task until you get the signal…And believe me, once you see it you'll know."

"That wasn't a concern," quipped Mystique, sounding ready to do what she intended to against this madman.

"Good, now get ready…All of you," ordered Magneto as he used his powers to take to the air, "It's about time we send Sinister as wake up call."

* * *

While the activity with Magneto and his Acolytes was brewing outside, Mr. Sinister and his Nasty Boys remained unaware and completely focused on the task at hand. This was supposed to be the last part in Sinister's experiment to enhance a mutant into the newly coined delta class. The body of Scott Summers had proven every bit worth its price since he had successfully gone through the experiment and survived. Now, according to Sinister, he was a truly one of a kind mutant…Unlike anything that has ever walked the face of the Earth. With enhanced body, mind, and powers…He would be a force like no other and Sinister intended to use that to his advantage in dealing with his enemies like Magneto.

"It's almost done…His memories are almost completely gone," grinned Sinister intently as he watched the progress of his glorious machines.

"Goody…" said Emma in an overly sarcastic tone, eager for this all too end so she could get what Sinister had promised her and get on with her life.

"I still don't see the point of this of this," said Betsy, feeling somewhat sorry for the young man who was currently having his mind wiped clean by this man, "I mean…Why erase his memories? Won't that make him confused and unstable?"

"Oh please Psylocke," scoffed Sinister, "Don't take me for a fool. Without his memories he won't be tempted to go back to the life he once had. And thanks to the past I have so meticulously orchestrated for him with my computers, he won't want to anyways. He'll think, act, and be Blake Hellstrom…My creation."

"Not much of an original name for a super mutant, don't you think?" commented Emma once again, looking all the more bored by the incessantly long experiment.

"Since when have you known me to be original Emma?" replied Sinister as the program neared completion, "I think it suits him…Regular, but not too regular…Simple, but not suspicious. And his codename, Blaze…Well, you'll understand why I gave him that name once you see his powers in action!"

With everything in the experiment going Sinister's way, he had little reason to suspect anything other than absolute success. His life's work was culminating at this very moment. For the many decades that he had lived, his dream of creating the perfect species had been an obsession that had driven his mind to madness at some points. But all his work was about to come to ahead now and it would all be over soon.

Finally, the memory wipe program finished and Sinister began the last part of the final step.

"There…Now his memories are completely gone," grinned the mad scientist, "Now all that's left is to wipe his emotions clean so that he will have no sense of self and be completely obedient to me and only me."

"Sounds like something Magneto would do…" commented Betsy, knowing that mentioning one of his biggest enemies would definitely push Sinister's buttons.

"Don't insult me Psylocke!" responded Sinister in anger upon hearing that name, "Magneto is a fool who has long since diverged from the goals we once mutually held. He wanted to wipe out emotion for one reason…I want to do it for another."

"Oh really? Then what makes you so different?" said Emma, still sounding skeptical.

"My creation…Blaze…Now has a great deal of power in the palm of his hand. He also has a powerful mind that has been enhanced…However, because of that he must be kept under control. If the experiment has enhanced his brain power…It most likely has enhanced other aspects of his brain as well like coordination, logic, and emotions. If he is too much of an individual, then I won't be able to control him. And without emotions…He won't be so confused when he awakens in a day or so. It's simply a logical step…For there are so many unknowns with his new class of mutation that it is best to keep strict levels of control until I can ascertain all the effects that have taken place."

Sinister now had the emotion eraser program ready to run and in only a few commands, the experiment would finally come to a successful end.

"Is this the last part?" asked Emma, growing all the more impatient.

"Don't worry Emma…This is the last part," assured Sinister with a snide grin, "And once it's over both you and Betsy will get what's coming to you…Just as I promised."

"It damn well better…" muttered Betsy under her breath, eager to get out of here and go back home so she could call Warren.

As Sinister was about to hit the enter key to start the program…Suddenly, the electricity was abruptly cut and the whole structure went completely dark.

"What the!" yelled Ruckus in the darkened room, "What the hell happened!"

Betsy formed two glowing psionic blades to give some light to the room, but as Sinister quickly became very frustrated…His rage was soon turned to suspicion.

"Magneto…It can only be him!" grunted Sinister in a venomous tone, knowing only he had the power to carry out such an act against him, "How did he find me!"

"Guess this means we won't be getting out of here tonight…" said Emma, not at all happy about this sudden development either.

Sinister frantically tried to get emergency power to the area, but managed only to get a couple dim lights lit from weak backup batteries. It was nowhere near the power he needed to finish the last part of the experiment and he would have to fight Magneto off if he was going to finish his life's work.

"Everybody! Get to the front entrance!" ordered the angry mad scientist, "I know he's out there! And if I'm to complete my experiment…He must be neutralized!"

Outside, the most crucial parts of this little mission had already been set into motion as Magneto, Gambit, Pyro, and Sabretooth began to rush the front entrance, knowing they would probably be met with Sinister's henchmen at any moment.

"Get ready my Acolytes! That electromagnetic pulse surly got his attention!" said the master of magnetism, knowing the fight ahead of them promised to be quite difficult given Sinister's temperamental nature.

"Finally some action!" said Pyro in his insatiably over the top tone as his flame throwers stood ready to do their thing.

As they got close towards the entrance, the front door was suddenly blown off and Magneto's Acolytes were met with Sinister's Nasty Boys. Upon confirming Sinister's suspicions, it was hate at first sight.

"I knew it was you bucket head!" bellowed Gorgeous George as he, Ruckus, Vertigo, Emma, and Psylocke stormed out the door that had just been busted in a fit of rage.

"Don't tell me Sinister would've expected anybody else!" grinned Magneto upon seeing that he had truly caught them all off guard.

The darkened mansion had put a damper on the experiment, but Magneto knew that he would have to do more than that to keep Sinister from fulfilling it. This facility may have been difficult to find, but if it had everything that Sinister needed to do his work than it was worth the effort. Having both a practical and personal stake in this, Magneto was determined to succeed…But then again, so was Sinister.

Although only three of his Acolytes were there to handle all five of Sinister's Nasty Boys, Magneto was confident in the skills of his men. They were already succeeding in their tasks even though not a punch had been thrown yet…He just hoped it stayed that way long enough for Mystique and Piotr to do their part as well.

"Eric Lensherr!" bellowed Sinister's strange, modulated voice as he appeared behind his Nasty Boys, "I should have known you would be this stupid!"

"You're right Essex…You should have!" grinned Magneto in response as he hovered in the air, poised to attack just as he had planned.

"ERRR! You have no idea what you have just interrupted with your interference!" yelled the very angry mad scientist at his enemy, "All my hard work…A lifetime of blood, sweat, and tears!"

"Shall not come to pass…" said Magneto, cutting him off in mid sentence, "Acolytes! Attack!"

Not wasting any time, Pyro used his flame manipulation powers to form clusters of fiery medieval knights and ordered them to rush the Nasty Boys as they too began to attack in response. Sabretooth immediately went for Gorgeous George, letting out a loud roar as he tackled the strong mutant to the ground and began to let his animalistic rage fuel him and his will to fight.

"Bring it on fur ball!" said Gorgeous as he and the feral mutant became entangled in a grapple of raw strength.

As he only responded with ravenous roar, he managed to break the grapple and slash his claws against the formidable fighter and force him back as Pyro's fire knights began closing in. However, while the hot headed Australian continued to laugh like a maniac as he ordered the knights to attack Ruckus and Vertigo, the two Nasty Boys began to fight back…Tired of hearing the young pyromaniac's banter.

"Hot enough for you mates?" laughed Pyro as he literally turned up the heat.

"I feel a draft coming on…" grinned Ruckus as he took a deep breath and unleashed a sonic blast that blew away the humanoid figures.

However, this action didn't dissuade Pyro as he merely created more and forced them upon the two mutants with increasing vigor. Ruckus kept on blasting them back, but the more that came, the more difficult it got.

"Anytime lady!" said Ruckus in between blasts as he turned to Vertigo.

"Don't worry…" replied the female illusionist, "He will yield quickly to the power of Vertigo."

As her eyes began to glow a strange yellow color, Pyro began to feel the world around him grow wavy and imbalanced. His senses quickly became disoriented and his felt as though everything he had eaten was burning at his stomach. As his concentration quickly waned, the figures of fire faded and Ruckus and Vertigo were allowed to advance upon the weakened pyromaniac as he stumbled to regain his balance.

"AH! Get out of my head you lousy bitch!" yelled Pyro as he tried to keep his dinner down and get a clear vision of where his enemies were.

"You look a little under the weather Pyro," grinned Ruckus as he prepare to send him away with another sonic blast, "Let me sing you a lullaby!"

But before he could unleash his powers, the young Pyro maniac managed to trace he source of the voice and sent a massive fireball in their direction, forcing both Vertigo and Ruckus to get out of the way, thus breaking their concentration as well as the nauseating spell that had nearly incapacitated the young pyromaniac.

"You little twits!" grinned Pyro as he regained his composure and prepared another assault, "You can't beat the power of fire! Now what do you say we kick it up a notch!"

Not wanting to hold back any further, Pyro unleashed large waves of fire that resembled monsters from Hollywood movies and made sure the flames burned with the utmost intensity to keep both Ruckus and Vertigo at bay while the others continued their fight against Mr. Sinister and his Nasty Boys.

With the fire from Pyro's powers illuminating the battlefield, Remy "Gambit" Lebeau found himself fighting against Emma and Psylocke single handedly. Armed only with a bow staff and decks of playing cards he knew it wasn't going to be easy against these two well trained women. But being a master thief and a fighter, he relished in the challenge. However, for Betsy and Emma, their feelings were more centered around their rage for the disruption of the experiment that intended to end their services to Sinister after months of annoying obedience. Having it all yanked away when it was so close had not been very pleasant to say the least…Especially when it meant having to fight for Sinister a second longer than they had to.

"You Cajun street trash!" said Psylocke angrily as she formed two intense psionic blades and prepared to cut Gambit to pieces, "Do you have any idea what your interference has done!"

"Saved you money on yo' electric bill?" grinned Gambit as he prepared three charged cards and prepared to hold his own against these two angry women.

"ERR! You son of a bitch!" yelled Emma as she formed her diamond hard shell in preparation for the fight, "You had better not prevent me from getting what I have worked so hard for all these months! Otherwise I'll make sure you'll spend every last waking moment of your short life in agonizing pain!"

"Spoken like my last two ex girlfriends," he joked, "But if it's a fight you want, it's a fight Gambit will give ya!"

Despite their anger, Gambit didn't seem too worried as he saw his two comrades holding their own in keeping the battle a bitter stalemate just as they had planned. But Emma and Betsy didn't seem to take this into consideration as they lunged forth in an angry attack. Using their brashness to his advantage, Gambit unleashed three charged cards upon the both of them, forcing Betsy to use her blades to block them while Emma merely plowed through them. This ensured that Gambit wouldn't be double teamed and could take them on in close quarters combat where he excelled.

"Come on blondie," said Remy as he used his quick reflexes and skill with a bow staff to block and deflect her raging, unorganized attacks, "You can certainly do better den dat!"

This only fueled Emma's rage, but it didn't do her any good against the level headed Cajun as he easily countered her brash moves. Knowing her diamond shell was too hard to crack, Gambit knew he would have to improvise in subduing these two very angry women.

"It's time we start playin' Gambit's game…" said the Cajun as he charged a single ace of spades.

"You're even stupider than you look!" scoffed Emma, "You know your card tricks can't hurt me!"

"Wasn't my intention…" grinned Gambit as he flung the card, directly at her face, causing it to explode right before her eyes with a flash.

Her overly rushed moves hadn't given her time to think about what the skilled Cajun might try and now she was stuck trying to regain her eyesight. Upon seeing this, Betsy chose to step in and pick up where Emma had left off.

"You stupid bloke!" said Betsy as she readied two psionic blades, "You're going to pay for that!"

However, Gambit didn't wipe the grin off his face as he quickly ascertained what she was planning. Knowing she had both the skills and powers to match him with every move, Psylocke rushed the lone Cajun as she threw both blades at him as she prepared to pull out all the stops and take him down. But as the blades came rushing towards him, Gambit didn't look too threatened as he pulled off a most unexpected move and used his bow staff and reach to draw the still blinded Emma Frost in front of him, forcing her to take the full onslaught of the blades.

"AHH!" yelled the White Queen as she was flung back by the force of the blades, her shell still in tact.

"Emma!" gasped Psylocke as she saw what her actions had just done.

However, that hesitation was all Gambit needed as he unleashed a barrage of charged cards directly at the skilled mutant fighter, causing her to fall back and lose her composure.

"Now ain't dis a fun fight cherè?" taunted Gambit as he kept his attack going and lunged forth with his bow staff, forcing Psylocke on the defensive.

With powerful mental shields around each one of Magneto's Acolytes, telepathy wasn't an option here. And with bitter stalemate now evident to both sides, this left only Sinister and Magneto as they stared each other down in an angry exchange of looks.

"Your Nasty Boys are getting sloppy Essex," taunted Magneto as he saw the enraged look on the face of his enemy.

"You pathetic fool…" grunted Sinister as his red eyes glowed with hatred, "You have no idea what your interference has done! Decades of blood, sweat, and tears have culminated on this night…And I will NOT allow you to taint it!"

"A little late for that don't you think?" said Magneto, knowing he had already succeeded in some ways and at the moment…Everything was going exactly as he wanted.

"We once worked together for a common goal Magnus…" said Sinister as his venomous voice grew deeper and darker, "We once shared the same dream…And now, just because you had a heart to heart with yourself while you were under Apocalypse's control, you've thrown it all away! If we had worked together…Nothing would have been able to stop us! Not SHIELD…Not the X-men…Nobody!"

"Working with you was a mistake…I see that clearly now…I see a lot of things clearly now," said the master of magnetism, not at all daunted by this man's words, "You could never understand what I went through with Apocalypse. But it has opened my eyes…And in doing so, I can see what a true monster you are! You don't give a damn about mutants or humans! All you care about is destroying them both and making yourself a king in the process!"

"No Magnus…Not a king," grinned the angry mutant, "A God…"

With glowing eyes and an enraged temper to feed off of, Sinister's hands began to glow and he unleashed a powerful energy blast upon the master of magnetism. Magneto quickly countered with an equally strong shield as he took to the air in order to make himself a harder target for his enemy. This only enraged Sinister further as he turned up the heat and kept firing rapid fire bursts.

"You'll have to do better than that Sinister!" taunted Magneto.

Then, using his magnetic powers, Magneto ripped several major steel support beams from the structure of the walls of the mansion along with many smaller rods to supplement it and forced them upon his enemy below. Sinister managed to deflect them, but a few did hit. However, no damage could be inflicted upon the body of Mr. Sinister as his body merely acted like clumps of cellular clay and quickly regenerated any lost parts of his body. Like mercury, his strange body chemistry took all the punishment that Magneto could dish out and regenerated within mere seconds. It was like fighting a glob of clay, but the master of magnetism didn't seem daunted.

"I could keep this up all night Magnus!" taunted Sinister as he let out more blasts towards the powerful mutant hovering above him, "You know you can't hurt me! I'll just heal from it!"

"If I have to…I'll rip apart ever cell in that freak show you call a body one by one! I will never stop!" shot Magneto as he was forced to dodge more energy blasts.

However, this simply made Sinister laugh as his anger became more focused and he managed to concentrate more on the fight at hand.

"You're forgetting one thing Magnus…I am immortal…You are still flesh and blood! You cannot stop me…For I have all the time in the world while you are bound permanently to that ever aging body of yours. Either way…You are simply wasting your time…Or what little of it you have left!"

Magneto didn't let Sinister's words hinder his efforts as he ripped more and more steel beams from the house and assaulted the strong mutant from every angle. He knew this wouldn't kill him, but that was not his intention. Magneto may have been naïve in many ways, but he was certainly not stupid. He knew Sinister's healing capacity, for he had seen him survive many attacks from him and his Acolytes in the past few months. But right now, killing him wasn't important…Stopping his experiments was the main priority. And at the moment, Magneto was doing his part just as he had planned…He just hoped that the others would do theirs.

* * *

While the battle was raging on in the front yard of the mysterious mansion, Mystique had been hard at work gaining entrance to the heavily secured inner sanctums that hopefully housed the vital components Sinister needed to do his experiments. While no mere human could ever hope to sneak into the main lab area via window or vent, a shape shifter on the other hand was more than capable.

Working on strict radio silence, Mystique used her shape shifting to get herself into the ventilation system by shifting herself into a small animal. Thanks to the electromagnetic pulse from Magneto, the main security systems had been shut down and Sinister appeared to have redirected all emergency power somewhere else…Meaning that he must have been doing something that required a great deal of power to both operate and maintain. The pitch black darkness around her made it hard to navigate through the maze of shafts, but once her eyes adjusted the shape shifter worked quickly and made her way towards the center of the mansion. Not having a map to work with, she would have to rely on Magneto and the others outside while she relied on her luck inside.

'Come on…Where is it? Where are you carrying all this madness out Essex?' thought the shape shifter as she quickly made her way through the cramped areas.

It was a big structure and it was a place where she easily could have gotten lost, but thanks to a lifetime of being a mutant terrorist/freedom fighter she kept her focus and was only concerned with carrying out her part. She remembered how after she spoke to Destiny that after Apocalypse was gone, the future for both her and her children was open to many possibilities…Some good and some bad. And after her nightmarish encounter with Apocalypse, she now had the clarity and determination to work for the good and fight off the bad. And unfortunately…Most of the bad aspects that Destiny mentioned seemed to center around Mr. Sinister and her continuing down her path of anger and self destruction.

As she found herself turn another corner and work her way to lower levels, something finally caught the shape shifter's keen eyes.

'Light…' she thought as she saw a subtle glow coming out of one of the ventilation shafts, 'Perfect…Now I'm finally getting somewhere.'

Not wasting any time, Mystique shifted back into her human form so that she could use her hands to bust open the vent where the light was coming from. She remained careful and vigilant, knowing Sinister always had a knack for surprise. But as it was, there didn't seem to be any hint of booby traps or active security systems thanks to the pulse. Upon getting the vent open, Mystique squeezed through the narrow opening and allowed herself to fall to the floor. She now found herself in the main experimentation area where the Final Step machine that Sinister had used on Scott was located. Everything was darkened except for a few dim lights. As her eyes readjusted to her surroundings, Mystique finally got the full image of Sinister's ultimate machine.

"He finished it…" she said, not feeling all too good about this new development, "I can't believe he actually finished it."

Looking around at the computers and components it was clear…Sinister had succeeded in building his mutant enhancement machine. It had been what both she and Magneto had been trying to stop, but it appeared now that they had merely slowed him down. They had truly underestimated this madman as she took in the vast array of advanced technology that looked many decades ahead of it's time.

Knowing that the electromagnetic pulse had fried most of the circuit boards, there was little computer data for her to extract. But that wasn't her mission…It was to ensure that Sinister could not complete or use this insidious machine that both she and Magneto were ashamed to have helped him create in some ways with the early experiments on her son and Magneto's technology on Asteroid M. Now that she found it, she could destroy it before it could carry out what it was meant to do. However, as she prepared to call in Colossus to help her finish the job…Something caught her eye in the center of the room.

"Oh my God…" she gasped as she took a closer look.

Before her, the changed body of Scott Summers, now known as Blake Hellstrom thanks to Sinister, was still on the gurney lying motionless. He still had the helmet on his head that had erased his memories and was bound with metal shackles even though there appeared to be little signs of life. To Mystique, he was a total stranger looking about 19 or 20 years old from her perspective…But from the looks of it, he wasn't here by choice…Few people were when it came to Sinister. Upon removing the helmet, Mystique quickly felt around his neck and placed her ear to his chest in order to detect any signs of life. Upon finding a rather weak pulse, she quickly went to work on the shackles.

"Hold on kid…I'll get you out of here," she said quietly as she undid the shackles, "Trust me…You don't want to be around Sinister…He'll ruin your life."

Upon undoing his bound limbs, something else caught her eye on the table off to her side. It was a small, unmarked folder that was stuffed with papers. Curiously, the shape shifter picked it up and went through some of the contents to find that they were records.

"Blake Hellstrom…" she said as she read his name, "Or do you prefer Blaze? I'll have to ask you later. Until then…I think we've both overstayed my visit here."

Not knowing that the records that Sinister had made were perfect forgeries, she quickly surmised he was an unlucky participant in one of Sinister's experiments. He barely had any life in his body as it was, hinting that something serious was done to him and knowing Sinister it was far from humane. Knowing time was always against her, Mystique activated the small earpiece she had in her ear and contacted her comrade.

"Colossus…I'm in," she reported.

"You found the main laboratory?" asked Colossus over the radio.

"Yes…And something else in addition," she added.

"What do you mean?"

"I'll activate my homing beacon…Come and see for yourself because I'll need some help with this one," she replied quickly and assertively, "How goes the fight in the front?"

"It's a stalemate…Just as planned," answered Colossus, "But it will not remain so forever. I'm coming in the quick way…Get ready."

"Good…Hurry!" urged Mystique as she gathered the folder and proceeded to quickly go around the vast lab area, knocking over barrels of flammable chemicals and preparing the facility for it's ultimate destruction.

Meanwhile, Colossus was now in his full metal skin and ready to make his way through to the area Mystique had found. Thanks to a beacon in her earpiece and a tracking mechanism built into a watch that Magneto had given him, he knew exactly where to go. Not wasting any time, the Russian born mutant began to plow his way through the thick stone walls with ease and burst through the interior leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. The darkened mansion was still difficult to navigate through, but thanks to the beacon Colossus didn't need to worry about that. With powerful punch after punch the walls blocking his path to the main laboratory crumbled until finally, he reached the point where he was over main lab. With a powerful stomp, the floor gave way as a mountain of rubble formed in a corridor leading into the lab area. It would provide a good escape route once the tasks were carried out, but Colossus remained focused on getting there first and seeing for himself what Sinister had been working so hard on.

The smell of gasoline and other chemicals already filled the air, hinting that Mystique had already taken the initiative in the next step of the plan. As he followed the beacon into the main lab area, he quickly gasped at the sight of the completed machine.

"My God…He finished it," said Colossus.

"That's what I said too," said Mystique as she made her way over to him and led him to the center of the area, "And that's why we have to act fast and make sure it's never used. But that's not all we have to do…"

"What do you mean?" asked the Russian as he saw the look of intent on her face.

"See for yourself…" she said as she directed his attention back towards the unmoving body still rested on the gurney.

Colossus felt another twinge of anger towards Sinister. A year ago, he never in the right mind would have chosen to work with Magneto ever again. But that was before Sinister came along and tried to kidnap his sister, Illyana, for one of his experiments. He remembered how he tried to fight back, but was subdued by Sinister's Nasty Boys…However, Magneto stepped in and managed to fight them off with the rest of the Acolytes and saved his sister after having once threatened to harm her. Knowing Sinister would probably try again, Magneto offered him a chance to take down Sinister with him…Saying that the experience with Apocalypse had changed him and he's willing to see things differently now. At first he didn't believe him, but after he saved Illyana and his family and after experiencing Sinister's dark persona for himself…He made his choice. Magneto also generously offered financial incentives as he had with the rest of the Acolytes, something he hadn't done before and even paid for his family's protection. But Sinister did try again and it had only made him hate the mad scientist even more. Now it appeared that someone else had suffered Sinister's wrath and if they didn't get him out, it would only get worse for him.

"Is he alive?" asked Colossus, not seeing any signs of life within him.

"I did a check…He's alive," answered Mystique, "But he's in some kind of strange coma…Probably Sinister's doing in order to keep him docile."

"I wouldn't be surprised…" said Colossus with a look of anger on his face upon seeing more of Sinister's cruelty, "Come…We must get him out of here and destroy this heinous place as well."

"Agreed…Did you bring the explosives?" asked Mystique.

"Of course comrade Raven…And I see you have already taken the necessary steps to ensure the maximum destruction," said Colossus, referring to the thick trail of flammable chemicals that she had helped dump all over the area.

"Glad you noticed," said Mystique as Colossus handed her two, high tech bombs that would hopefully ensure the destruction of this heinous place, "Now take the boy and get him out of here as fast as you can. I'll start the fireworks and inform Magneto."

"Da, it will be done…" answered Colossus as he took the still form of Scott Summers in his arms and quickly began to work his way out through the path he had cleared on his way in.

Mystique proceeded to place one detonator near the main conduits that led down to the generators below. With one powerful charge, the laboratory that Mr. Sinister was using for his insane experiment would be rubble. The flammable chemicals and the damage to the supports would ensure that there would be nothing left for the madman to work with. He may have managed to complete this powerful machine that was capable to great destruction to both humans and mutants alike…But he would never be allowed to use it for its intended purpose.

For the last detonator, Mystique chose to place that on the glass of the main bio tank apparatus that Sinister had affectionately referred to as 'The Final Step.' As she looked at the machine and the surrounding equipment, it brought back old memories of that fateful night when she had foolishly allowed her son, Kurt, to be experimented on with such machines. Magneto may have been the one to carry it out, but Sinister had secretly been the one to order it. It was a time when Magneto and Sinister were allies…But times change. If the young man she had found was forced to go through this machine, the shape shifter knew he was in for a rough road once he woke up. But at least with her current actions along with those of her comrades, nobody else would have to go through the same ordeal.

"Payback's a bitch Sinister…And so am I," said Mystique as she secured the detonators and activated the primer.

Then, with each detonator ready, Mystique quickly made her way down the path that Colossus had gone and followed the holes in the walls he had made for a quicker, easier escape. She didn't know how much longer the stalemate in the front would last, so she worked fast. And as she neared the exit, she activated her ear piece once more and radioed Magneto, who was still in the midst of a fight with Sinister.

"Eric, I don't know if you can respond to this…But the charges are in place," sent Mystique, "We also found something…Or more like, someone. Apparently Sinister used the machine on a rather unfortunate young man who was in some kind of coma when I found him. I'm not sure exactly what Sinister did to him, but Colossus and I got him out and we are returning to the transport spheres. The charges are going off in exactly 30 seconds, so get ready to pull out!" 

Mystique didn't expect a response as she finally went through the last hole in the wall and arrived back out near where she had entered. Colossus, with the young man still in his arms, was already near the metal transport spheres that had brought them here. Mystique quickly followed, knowing the rest was up to Magneto now.

As she and Colossus waited anxiously for the others, the bitter stalemate between the Acolytes and the Nasty Boys was finally beginning to wane in favor of the Nasty Boys. The outnumbered Acolytes were finally beginning to falter, but they still fought on. But as soon as Magneto got Mystique's message…A confident grin fell upon his face as he shielded himself from another one of Sinister's blasts. Knowing that he and his team had succeeded in doing their respective parts, he felt it was time to make his leave.

"It's been fun Sinister…But I'm afraid this fight must end," said Magneto, causing Sinister to stop his blasts that were so driven by his rage, "You really are too predictable."

"NO! This fight will NOT end until you pay for interrupting my grand experiment!" bellowed Sinister.

"Oh I've done much more than that Essex…" said Magneto with a grin.

Before Sinister could respond, a sudden blast erupted from the center of the mansion with a deafening bang and a large fireball ascended into the sky. The shock had diverted the mad scientist's attention away from Magneto and back towards his life's work as soon dawned on him what had just happened.

"No…" said a very angry Mr. Sinister as the blast also diverted the attention of his henchmen, "My experiment…My life's work…"

"Shall never be used again!" finished Magneto as he took the sky, "Acolytes! Retreat! I'll handle the rest of this!"

Gambit, Pyro, and Sabretooth didn't waste time as they used the sudden confusion among the Nasty Boys to make their escape back the metal spheres while Magneto finished the job. With his magnetic powers, Magneto summoned all his strength as he ripped, tore, and dismembered every steel component of the mansion he could muster, causing section after section to collapse under its own weight. While the main objective was the laboratory, Magneto wanted to ensure that the entire facility would be unusable to the madman for good. Sinister watched with unbridled rage as the entire mansion began to collapse into a pile or rubble, burying that which he had worked so long and hard for. Once the job was done, Magneto began to make his leave, but not before sending back one last taunt to the man that had taunted him so much in the past.

"So long Sinister! You're experiment has been officially terminated!"

As Magneto saw the rest of the spheres ready for transport, he used his powers to draw them into the sky with him as he sped away from the area at great speeds, with both his Acolytes and the altered body of Scott Summers with him.

Back at the rubble, Sinister was brimming with rage over what Magneto had done. Everything he had worked for…Everything he had overcome to create his ultimate mutant enhancement machine was now gone. For Betsy and Emma, it was equally frustrating because without the facility, it meant that Sinister wouldn't be able to give them what they promised them. Betsy wouldn't get her old body back and Emma wouldn't get the information she needed to clear her name with the Hellfire Club. It was a costly mistake in letting rage overtake their senses, which had allowed Mystique to sneak in and set the lab up for destruction while they blindly fought against Magneto.

And to make matters worse…Magneto now had the fruit of his labors in his possession. He had a feeling that Blaze had been taken and wasn't left to die in the rubble…He knew Magneto and Mystique too well for them to have just left him there to die. Now, his creation was all that remained of his experiment. The modified body of Scott Summers was still the first successful transformation into delta class mutant status. And if he was to rebuild his machine…He would need his test subject back. But this may prove difficult…Because the process had been halted before he could erase his emotions. Now, there was no telling what could happen with him. Either way, he had to get him back…He had to finish what he started.

"It's all gone…" mused Betsy, now feeling as though she would never be in her old body ever again, "I'm going to be stuck like this bloody body forever now!"

"And now I'll never clear my name," groaned Emma, feeling as though all the work she grudgingly did for Sinister was in vain.

"All is not lost," said Sinister, still angry, but not defeated in the slightest.

"What are you talking about Sinister!" yelled Betsy angrily, "The lab is gone, you're precious machine is in ruin, and now you have no way of giving me that what you promised!"

"You're wrong Psylocke," replied Sinister, "Just because this facility was destroyed doesn't mean that I still can't carry out my experiments. I still have all the data I need to build another machine and plenty of back up facilities located right here in New York. Magneto may think that I am crazy, but he'd be a fool to think that I'm stupid and haven't prepared for such an event."

"Forget it!" said Emma, not believing in this madman a second more, "Even if you can rebuild, leave me out of it! I'm sick of doing errands for you and getting no hint that you'll be able to give me what you promised!"

"Same here Sinister…If you want to rebuild, do it without us!" said Betsy as she and Emma began to walk off.

However, this didn't seem to dissuade Sinister in the slightest.

"Oh you diluted little girls…Where else are you going to find someone who can give you what I can offer?" asked Sinister, causing them to stop and look back at him angrily.

"I'll find something…" said Betsy.

"And I'll clear my own name," said Emma.

"Do you really have any idea how to go about such tasks?" asked Sinister, knowing that these two angry mutants were just being stubborn, "Do you even know where to begin?"

Neither Betsy nor Emma said a word, not wanting to admit that Sinister was right.

"If you two walk away from me…Then so does our agreement," warned Sinister, "Help me rebuild my machine and I'll use my backup data to give you both what you want. You witnessed the experiment and you saw it succeed. I have proven that I can deliver and right now…The best way to get what you both want lies with me and me alone."

Both young women looked back at each other as part of them just found his promise too tempting. If they left…There was no telling how they would find what they were looking for without Sinister's resources. His experiment showed that he had the resources, but his madness could not be overlooked. Whether or not he would stay true to his word had always been in question…But with the offer he had given them, it was just too much to pass up.

"How do we know that you aren't bullshitting us?" asked Emma with a snide glance.

"Honestly Emma…What do I have to gain by doing that?" replied Sinister, "I am a man of my word…You'll just have to trust me a little while longer and I promise you'll both get what you have worked so hard to deserve."

Both Emma and Betsy wanted to walk away…But they just couldn't say no to such a tempting offer. Nobody else could provide for them what Sinister could whether they liked it or not. And with that in mind, both women let out an exasperated sigh.

"Okay…I'll stay," said Emma.

"Me too," said Betsy, "But if I suspect for one minute…" however, Sinister did not let the purple haired mutant finish.

"Betsy my dear…You need not concern yourself with such notions for now. There is much work to be done…And rest assured, Magneto will pay for what he's done…And I shall get my ultimate test subject back no matter what or whom I have to go through."

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AN: Quite a turn of events isn't it? Magneto is at war with Sinister, Scott is no longer Scott, and now things are getting more and more complicated. The plot thickens and many twists still remain! You'll just have to read on and see for yourself just how crazy things can get with this fic as it progresses! So what do you all think? Do you like what I've done with this story? There's plenty to come and I'd love to know what you think! Please review via my email address or post them on the fanfiction website! Thank you all very much for reading and I wish you all the best!

HOLD ON! DON'T GO YET! REVIEW!


	7. Secrets Within

**Between Life and Death  
Chapter 7: Secrets Within**

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You know the drill! Before I begin, a quick word to my reviewers!

**Ldypebsaby: **I'm glad you liked the action so much! Thanks for your kind comments on it because scenes like that are quite tricky to write. As for Scott, you'll just have to read on and find out! Thanks for the review!  
**Tim Digidestined of Loyalty: **I know the author alert is busted, but just remember that I update regularly as long as I'm able to! As for Scott's situation with Magneto now, trust me…It's going to get more complicated, but this story is far from over so keep reading to see just how all this will pan out! Thanks for the review my friend! Peace out!  
**Agent-G: **Yes, Betsy is in quite a predicament now. But keep in mind that both she and Emma know how Sinister is to those who betray him…I think the Magneto thing shows that. For now, it doesn't seem like either of them have a choice here, but trust me, it'll get interesting with Mystique and Magneto now involved. You'll see just how they go about this Blaze situation with this and a near future chapters and believe me, it'll be major! Thanks as always for the great review my friend! It's always a pleasure hearing from you and I hope you continue to read and enjoy the story! You rock! Peace out!  
**Aniki19: **Yes, the last chapter was a pivotal point in this story, but trust me it's not over by a long shot! You'll just have to wait and see how this affects Scott/Blake and I hope you continue to enjoy where I take this story my friend! Thanks for the review!  
**The Uncanny R-Man: **Glad you find this story so intriguing my friend! And you're right about Emma having no shame…But that's what makes her so fun to write! As for Scott, you'll see just how messed up his mind is in the next few chapter. Thanks a ton for the reviews R-man! It's always an honor! You rock!  
**Sentoris: **Thank you so much for the wonderful comments on the action scene I put so much effort into. I love it when I'm able to actually get my readers to be able to picture what I'm describing and I can't thank you enough for praising my efforts. You'll see what happens with Scott soon enough! I hope you like it! Thanks as always my friend!  
**Jenskott: **Thanks for the three reviews my friend! I'm glad you liked them! I know I made things a bit complicated with Magneto coming in and all, but trust me, it's far from over! If you want to see what happens to Scott, read on my friend because it's going to be a wild ride!  
**Heartsyhawk: **You know me…I love twists! That's what sets good stories apart from truly enchanting stories. Any story can be good, but it can't just stay bland the whole time. That's why I like to add twists with fics like this and "Extermination." I'm honored that you like them so much and it really means a lot to me that you take the time to read and review them. I hope you continue to enjoy the twists and turns that this story has coming and thank you so much for all your support thus far! You rock!  
**Simba317: **Thanks again for the awesome review! You really know how to make an author's day! Magneto and Mystique will play a major role in this and trust me, you'll see just how those events concerning Apocalypse have changed them with what I have planned! And just so you know, Sinister didn't give Scott/Blake artificial memories, he only erased his memories and gave him an artificial past. And because Sinister didn't erase his emotions, the grand experiment is not complete for him and it will most certainly be a factor later on! There's plenty to come with Sinister, Emma and Betsy, Magneto, Scott/Blake, and the X-men! Thanks again for such a sweet review and I hope you like where I take this! You rock! Peace out!

Also, a special thanks to: **GothikStrawberry, Wen1, X00001, Mark C, Strayphoenix, Extra-ter2estrial, Rogue14, Randommarvelfan, Prophet-Song.**

**Also, I have a fic that I'm co-authoring with Agent-G called "Hellfire and Brimstone." It's got Jott, Romy, Wandurt, Kiotr, Loro, and plenty more! Please read and review it! Also, I have another ongoing fic on the adultfanfiction website, so if you want to, go to my profile and check that out as well! And don't forget to review!**

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The metal sphere's carrying Magneto's Acolytes touched down in an old warehouse district just outside of Bayville. The fight with Sinister had been quick and brutal, but it had turned out in their favor. The plan had gone just as Magneto had hoped and they stopped the mad scientist from fully implementing his machine on a large scale. However, during the midst of this fight, they had learned just how advanced Sinister was in his plans. Not only had he completed his device well before anybody could have suspected, but he had used it once on a test subject. For Magneto, it was a bad sign because it meant that all the fighting and skirmish's that he and his men had been in with Sinister and his Nasty Boys didn't stop him in the end. But he pushed that thought aside for now, knowing that in destroying his lab he had achieved a critical victory in this secret war against an old alley turned bitter enemy.

"Crikey, what a night…" sighed Pyro as he and the rest of the Acolytes stepped out of the spheres, "I don't know about you guys, but I'm turning in."

"I hear ya Pyro," yawned Gambit in agreement, "All dat fighting has left dis here Cajun in need of many Zs. Ya ought to think about turnin' in too boss. Ya haven't slept in three days."

"No rest for the weary Gambit," said Magneto, fighting off his fatigue along with Mystique as he watched Colossus bring in the unconscious body that they had extracted from Sinister's lab, "There is still much to be done even after this key victory. He already used that machine of his once and since he's still alive, it's almost a given that he'll try again."

"So we'll stop him again…" scoffed Pyro, "For now, I just need a little shut eye."

Pryo and Gambit then proceeded to their respective rooms. Sabretooth, being the mystery he was, went off to the kitchen to get himself a late night snack. Colossus had every intention of getting some sleep as well. However, for Mystique and Magneto, the night was just beginning.

"Bring him to the medical area, Piotr," ordered Magneto as he led the Russian born mutant towards the back area of the facility that he had converted into a makeshift hospital similar to Xavier's, "We must find out if Sinister did anything to him."

Upon reaching the sterilized room, Mystique promptly turned on the lights and readied some of the machinery. Thanks to his money and connections, Magneto had managed to salvage some pretty decent medical equipment and because of his vast array of mutant physiology, he had tailored it quite well for treating mutants injured in battle. In this struggle against Sinister, there was no shortage of injuries. However, this newcomer was a mystery and if he had come into contact with Sinister, there was no telling what had been done to him.

Upon placing the unmoving body that was once Scott Summers on one of the beds, Colossus then turned back to Magneto, who was still readying some of the equipment for use.

"Are you certain he is not dead?" asked the Russian as he looked down at the deathly still body, "I find it hard to detect any signs of life within him."

"Trust me Piotr…He's alive," said Mystique confidently, "If he was dead then Sinister either would have discarded him or dissected him already. Whatever has been done to him has left him in a rather frail. And if Sinister hasn't wiped his mind then he may prove to be a vital ally in destroying that madman once and for all."

"Well said Raven," said Magneto as he placed some electrodes on the young man's head and chest, "Do not worry about him Piotr. Just get some rest for now. I'll inform you and the others about his status in the morning."

With a silent nod, the Russian born mutant made his exit and retired to his room. To him, it was remarkable how different Magneto and Mystique were compared to their pre-Apocalypse counterparts. It may have been hard for him to accept at first, but it appeared that they had genuinely changed for the better as a result of their experience. Colossus often associated Pyro's comments of them being more "Xavierish" as proof that things were different. These comments didn't bother Magneto in the slightest, however, and he actually had made leaps and bounds to rectify his behavior in the past. And in doing so, Colossus and the rest of the Acolytes had come to see their former boss in a new light. Ever since Sinister tried to capture his sister for his experiments, nearly killing his family in the process, he had seen what true madness really was. Sinister made the old Magneto look like a poster child for sanity. He was out to protect his family while Gambit and Pyro were out for other incentives. Magneto had promised Gambit some generous financial incentives and resources to get him out of his predicament Thieves Guild back in New Orleans and he promised Pyro help and money in getting him into the United States legally in order to avoid criminal charges back in his homeland of Australia. Now, they were less an evil pro-mutant organization and more a group of secret mutant peacekeepers, trying to stop an enemy that even Xavier wouldn't want to touch. Colossus had long speculated what Apocalypse had done to Magneto and Mystique in order for them to have such a dramatic change of heart. He had tried asking them before, but neither of them really showed a desire to talk about it. However, the Russian pushed that thought aside for now as he retired to his quarters for some much needed rest.

However, back with Magneto and Mystique, the night was still far from over and sleep was the last thing on their minds for the time being.

"Hmm…That's strange," said Eric as he looked at the vitals of the young man on the display screen.

"What do you mean?" asked Mystique, having been very curious about this young man since she first saw him trapped in Sinister's lab.

"I can't be certain…But from these readings I can only surmise that he's in some strange coma," said the master of magnetism, finding some of these readings to be odd even for Sinister.

"How strange?"

"Strange as in…Any other person, mutant or not, would be dead now if they were in the same state," answered Eric as he and his female associate turned back and looked upon the strange young man they had saved from Sinister.

Both mutants simply stood in silence as they looked over the mysterious body. It was as still as a statue, yet still slightly warm with life. It was as if he was dead and alive at the same time.

"I can't be certain…But it seems as though this coma, or whatever it may be, is slowly wearing off at a constant rate. It's not like regular comas in a sense, but near as I can guess…At his current rate he should wake up in day or so."

"No doubt he'll be confused…" mused Mystique as she and Eric continued to check the young man for abnormalities that Sinister may have induced, "Maybe he can help us when he finally does come to, but I doubt Sinister will want that. I'll bet he's already plotting to get him back somehow."

"I wouldn't be surprised," said Magneto in agreement, "That's why we have to keep him away from Sinister and learn as much as possible about him in the process. Did you find any other information on who he is while you were in the lab?"

"I did…" said Mystique as she retrieved the folder she had placed on one of the tables, "According to this file, his name is Blake Hellstrom. But Sinister has given him the codename, Blaze."

"Then I guess it's safe to assume that he is a mutant," concluded the master of magnetism, "Does it say what his powers are?"

"No…Just a bunch of personal data that Sinister probably stole," answered Mystique as she flipped through the papers, "According to this, he's an orphan from New York City. He spent a few years in a couple of foster homes, but ended up back in an orphanage until he turned 18 and became a drifter. Not a very big profile for a mutant."

"And logically so…" said Magneto, "It would make him all the easier to handle and few people would be concerned with the disappearance of some nameless drifter. He's a perfect candidate for one of Sinister's abductions."

"But what do you think he did to him?" asked Mystique as she looked back at the body.

"That my friend…" said Eric as he brought out another strange looking medical apparatus, "Is what we are going to have to find out for ourselves."

Magneto then proceeded to attach a strange looking headband around the young man's head while running a strange, modified scanner over his physique. If this young man was a mutant as both Mystique and Magneto has assumed, then this scan would help determine what kind of mutant he was and what kind of powers he had. Like Xavier, Magneto had an array of computers that helped him identify and study mutants and genetic mutation. While smaller than Cerebro, it did provide similar data output when used.

As the computer array began deciphering the incoming data from the scan, Mystique and Magneto could do nothing more than simply wait for the results. Since this young man had been involved with Sinister, they knew to be ready to expect anything. Sinister was a true wildcard and it would be a great mistake on their part if they didn't take that into account in dealing with him.

As both Eric Lensherr and Raven Darkholm watched the large computer screen in anticipation, the mystery of the young man only grew. Neither of them had ever heard of the name, Blake Hellstrom. If he was a mutant, wouldn't Xavier know about him if they hadn't? And if he was from the New York area, why hadn't they detected him? They were big questions, but as long as he remained in his deep coma, the answers would continue to elude them. In addition to the mystery of his origin…There remained something else about him that seemed somewhat…Strange. His blonde, dread locked hair, elaborate tattoos, and broad muscles made him stand out physically, but there was still this feeling that there was much more beneath that alluring appearance that neither of them could identify yet.

Finally, even as they both contemplated the mysteries of this young man, the results came up on the computer screen and both Magneto and Mystique froze at the sight of what they were seeing.

"Raven…How long have we known each other?" said Eric, his eyes still fixated on the computer screen.

"For over 20 years…" answered Mystique, equally fixated on the readings that the machine was giving them.

"And in all those years…Have you ever seen anything quite like this before?"

The shape shifter simply watched the final readings on the machine in a daze for a brief moment, now wondering about the mystery of this young man more than ever.

"I can safely say that I haven't," answered Mystique, "But…Just what the hell is he? I've never seen a DNA structure like that before in my life."

"Nor I…And I have studied mutation and DNA for the better half of my life," said Magneto as he looked back at the young man, then back at the computer screen, "But this young man…He's a class in of himself. His cell structure, his body, his brainwaves…They're all unlike anything I've ever seen."

"Coming from you, that's quite a statement," said Mystique, "But what could something like this mean? How can he look so human if his DNA is so different?"

"I honestly don't know…" said Magneto, shaking his head in defeat, "His physiology is still mostly human, but his cellular structure and function is…For lack of a better word, different."

"How so?" asked Mystique, knowing that Eric probably knew the details better than her.

"Well…For many reasons," said Eric as he looked at all the discrepancies of the young man's DNA, "For one…Most humans are 99 identical on the genetic level. Mutants are only a few factors different and most of that DNA isn't used for anything anyways…But with this structure, over half of the DNA is being used. Even his X-gene is an anomaly in that it is present in all chromosomes. Every cell seems to have it and can carry out functions that probably don't even exist in humans."

"So he's an advanced mutant like you and me?" said Mystique, trying to process everything that Magneto was telling her to the best of her abilities.

"He's more than advanced…He's on a different level entirely," said Magneto ominously, "There's no telling how strong he is."

"What about his powers?"

"I'm not sure…But according to this he has some kind of energy manipulation power," said Magneto as he looked at the readings, "And it's quite powerful from the looks of it."

"I'm guessing that Sinister probably sent him through that enhancement machine because I don't see how nature could do anything like this," added Mystique, feeling as though only a man like Sinister could ever pull a feat like this off.

"You'd probably guess right Raven…" said Magneto as they both ran through more amounts of the dizzyingly bizarre data, "And that's not all…"

"What? There's more?" said the shape shifter, growing increasingly disturbed at the level of mystery that this young man had brought with him from Sinister's lab.

"Yes…From the brainwave scans," answered Magneto as he pulled them up, "For the most part, his mind is still in the usual state of a coma…But it appears to be functioning very well on all levels…Except for one."

Magneto then hit a few key strokes and brought up what looked like a wave chart.

"Notice anything different?" asked Magneto as he let Mystique look over the image for herself.

Mystique took a few moments to see what Magneto was talking about. She may not have been an expert in the field of biology, but she knew enough from her experience over the years to recognize an inconsistency. And while it did take a moment, something did eventually catch her eye.

"What's this flat part?" asked the shape shifter, "It doesn't look like the rest of the chart."

"That…" began Magneto as he zoomed in on the area, "Would be the memory section of his brain. The flat line indicates no activity. Therefore…He has no memories of his life."

"No memories? You mean like amnesia?" said Mystique, growing all the more intrigued.

"No…The only way to have a complete flat scan of activity in this test is if were deliberately erased…" answered Magneto, "It fits Sinister profile. It's a logical way to control someone…And if there's one thing Sinister loves to do, its control powerful things."

Looking back at the young man, both mutants couldn't help but feel sorry for him when he woke up. In the times before their experience with Apocalypse, they never would have felt such feelings for an unfortunate being, mutant or human. But this lack of compassion seemed too…Sinister-like. And neither of them wanted to be anything like that madman after fighting so hard against him these last few months and learning just how evil such feelings had truly made them in the past.

"Yeah…That definitely sounds like Sinister," muttered Mystique, knowing all too well that man's cruelty, "Do you know if he induced any mind control over him as well?"

Magneto did a check. If this young man was under any kind of control from Sinister, then he would be a great risk to them and everybody else for that matter. However, as he checked the readings…He was relieved by what he saw.

"No…If there were any signs of control, then this machine surely would have picked up on them," answered Magneto, "If he was going to do so…We probably stopped him before he could. It appears that only his memories are gone and that's all."

A heavy silence soon fell over them as Eric and Raven walked back over to the bedside of the comatose young man. His deathly still form left many unanswered questions and the scan of his body had only rose more. Whatever Sinister had done to him, he was now a very different being. His body was unlike anything nature had ever produced and Sinister's cruelty definitely showed in what was done to the young man. To them, he didn't look like some soldier or a mindless henchmen…He looked like a lost soul.

"So what are we going to do with him?" asked Mystique as they both stood before Sinister's unfortunate test subject.

Looking down at him, Eric Lensherr felt another twinge of anger towards Sinister. It was bad enough he had to live with the fact that he was partially responsible for what had happened to this young man, but knowing that Sinister was still out there and willing to put anybody, mutant or human, through an ordeal like this was not something he wanted to lay on his already weighted conscious. On that day when he was finally released from Apocalypse's control, the first thing he saw was his children, Wanda and Pietro, standing by his side. Wanda was still under the influence of Mastermind's illusions and Pietro still hated him for his betrayal…But they had helped save him none the less. They, along with the rest of the Brotherhood and the X-men, freed him from Apocalypse's control even after all his sins. Only under the ancient mutant's control did the old holocaust survivor relive the tragedy that was his life…It made him remember things he had tried to forget. And in the end, it awakened his long dead emotions, which instead of weakening him…Gave him the strength to change and fix past mistakes…Like Sinister.

"We keep him here," answered Magneto, "He has nowhere else to go…He has no home and no life worth returning to according to his file. And even if he did, Sinister would probably just attack and try to abduct him again to finish what he started."

"No doubt he'll be confused when he wakes up," said Mystique, "How do you expect to handle something like that? We know nothing of treating problems like that."

"Well we can't bring him to Xavier's," reasoned Magneto, "You know I want to keep him and his students out of this conflict with Sinister. And sending him there will only prompt Sinister to attack those who didn't have to be attacked."

"Not to mention my kids are still there," said Mystique, sounding somewhat more solemn at the mention of the children she had failed to win back after so many complications, "And you know I don't want them involved with Sinister."

"Which is why we must keep him here," affirmed Eric as he turned off the machines, "We must help him so he doesn't grow confused and angry…And if necessary, we must protect him from Sinister. He must not be allowed to complete his goals. He has already come too close as it is."

It was a sobering reminder of just how lucky they had been in their attack. Had they not stopped Sinister when they had, either young Blake would be mind controlled or worse. But he still had no memories of who he was or where he had come from. And thanks to the alterations to his appearance, Mystique and Magneto did no recognize him. Either way, despite their victory over Sinister, it would be a long hard road towards ending this secret war with Sinister.

"So how long do you think it will take before he wakes up?" asked Mystique as they removed the electrodes from his head and chest.

"I would estimate in about 36 hours at the most…Maybe less given his body chemistry," surmised Magneto.

"So we just keep him here until then?"

"No…" said Eric, "I used to work with trauma victims many years ago alongside Charles and I've dealt with such things before. He needs to be in a comfortable surrounding…Not a hospital bed. We'll put him in one of the spare bedrooms and watch over him until he wakes up. Only then will we know the true extent of Sinister's affects on him. Just remember…He'll most likely be dazed and confused when he awakes and the last thing we want to do is spook him."

"Sounds like a plan," said Mystique as she let out an exasperated sigh, "But I don't know how to handle victims of trauma like you…I couldn't even make amends with my kids."

"You've changed Raven," assured Eric, "We both have. Apocalypse made us see things differently…That's why we're fighting alongside one another against an enemy Xavier himself would fight. I've seen how different you have become not just towards others like the Brotherhood, but as a person. And if I can do it, so can you. Just don't let yourself be afraid…"

"I'm not afraid Eric…" muttered the shape shifter, "I just don't have much experience in showing a more 'gentle' side."

The master of magnetism let out a light laugh, something he had only been able to enjoy after his horrible ordeal with Apocalypse. In working with her these past few months, Eric had gotten to know Raven quite well and he had learned that they were very similar in many ways. They both struggled for acceptance their whole lives, they both had undergone great change as a result of Apocalypse, and they had both struggled with mending their relationships with their children. And while she was different in many ways, some parts of her were still the same.

"You really don't need experience in it Raven," said Eric as he prepared to move Blake to a more comfortable bedroom, "You just can't be afraid to show it…And believe me, I know you have it in you."

"Yeah right…" she scoffed, somewhat irked by Magneto's humored take on her predicament.

"Say what you will…But I guess we'll just have to wait and see now won't we?"

* * *

The students of the Xavier Institute had gathered under a dreary, rainy sky on a small ridge outside the institute in a state of sorrow and sadness. Professor Charles Xavier had made the decision to push the funeral ahead of schedule. The state of the mansion was in just too grave a state…Something had to be done to bring closure to friends and family that Scott had left behind. They would have to move on…They would have to let go and accept the fact that Scott was gone and never coming back. In addition to the need for the students, Charles Xavier also needed this for himself. He wasn't there when his first student had died and he wasn't there to say goodbye. And even thought they had no body to bury because of the sheer magnitude of the explosion, there would still remain a memorial to mark the all too brief life of a young man he thought of as nothing short of a son.

Despite the absence of a body, or any other remains for that matter, Xavier had still arranged for an empty casket to be buried with articles that others had contributed. There were things like his spare X-men uniform, pictures, drawings, cards, and many other things that the students used to say goodbye to their friend. Alex was also there…Saying goodbye to his brother all over again after only having recently found him. Logan and Hank had flown the X-jet to Hawaii to pick him up even though he was still in a state of denial. But eventually…He came. If for anything…To actually say goodbye this time.

There were dry faces as the service progressed and the casket was lowered into the ground before a neatly carved gravestone that read 'In loving memory of Scott Summers. Friend, leader, and X-man. He will be greatly missed.'

For many, this funeral was the first time anybody had seen Jean come out of her room since the tragedy. Few people denied that she was one of the hardest hit by this event. She had been in love with Scott…She had known him and been close friends with him since they were both twelve years old. For so long now…Jean had always seen Scott as the one stable constant in her life. He was the one who kept her grounded and whole. Ever since she arrived at the institute and struggled with her powers Scott had been there to share in the struggles that they had both suffered in their lives. Falling in love with him and coming together had brought so much joy to her life even after all the struggles they had to go through to get to that point. They were together, happy, and looking forward to a future with one another…But now it was all gone.

As each member of the institute, old and new, placed a single rare rose from Ororo's garden before Scott's grave…Professor Charles Xavier gave one last speech before they all bid farewell to their friend and leader one last time.

"I know that this day…Has been hard for all of you to handle," struggled the Professor, trying to say the speech he had practiced so many times before the previous night, "In our youth…We like to think that death is not a trouble we need concern ourselves with. We…Think that we are invincible because of the great amount of time that we still have left on this Earth. We like to think that…Just because we fight for what we believe to be the side of good, we will always come out on top. But unfortunately…That is not true. We are all fragile mortal beings. Some of us have experienced death in our lives more than we care to reveal…But experience never makes it any easier. We have lost someone very dear to us all now…Someone who had his whole life ahead of him. But he willingly sacrificed that life so that others could live on. What Scott did that night was very brave…But it doesn't make it any easier for us to deal with. You all know about Scott's life and death…But we must all take comfort in the knowledge that he's watching over us now wherever he is. And I guess there's not much else for me to say other than…Goodbye Scott…We will all miss you dearly."

Some began to cry upon hearing those final words of the Professor's speech as the coffin containing the dedications to Scott Summers were laid to rest along with his soul, now and forever. Kitty had collapsed into Kurt's arms as he led her away back to the mansion along with others like Rogue who found it hard to contain their grief. One by one, everybody said their final goodbyes to their friend and leader…Gently touching the stone monument in a gesture of respect.

Jean Grey stayed the longest at the monument…Holding in her hands Scott's ruby-quartz glasses that had concealed his eyes from the rest of the world. These small spectacles were all that remained of him and she grasped them with a great level of feeling…As if she could feel Scott's warmth beyond the grave. Jean had tried to speak about Scott during the service…But she found it too hard. She ended up having to be helped to her feet by Ororo and Logan in the end as her emotions overtook her.

All throughout the funeral, Jean had been holding on to the glasses and searching through their dead link for any signs of him even though she knew he was dead. However, each time she found nothing but emptiness…Sad, lonely emptiness. Jean didn't know how she would ever fully recover from this loss…Or if she ever would for that matter. A part of her had died with Scott that day…A part of her that she treasured. And as hard as it was to think about…She found herself gently touching the gravestone of her dead lover.

"Goodbye Scott…Thank you for giving me so much happiness in my life…Thank you for being there for me," said Jean softly as she sobbed in the cold, dreary rain, "I only wish I was there for you…And I don't know how I'll move on but…I'll do it for you. You truly knew me better than anybody ever has…Or ever will. And…I'll always love you…No matter what."

Jean found it too hard to go on after that as she closer her eyes and let her tears flow freely. Although everybody was gone, Jean felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and she turned to see that Alex had also not left.

"I'm sorry…" she said, her voice still choked with emotion.

"You have no reason to be…" said Alex as he brought his brother's soul mate into a comforting embrace.

For the second time in his life…Alex Summers had to deal with the death of his brother. He had lived for 10 years thinking he was dead only to find him alive in a most unexpected way. Now, after having only been reunited for a mere year and a half…He was saying goodbye once again.

As they broke the embrace, Jean turned her attention to the ruby-quartz glasses that she had been holding in her hands the entire time.

"Maybe you should have this…" said Jean, presenting the red glasses that Scott had always worn, "It may not be much…But he was your brother and…"

However, Alex cut her off as he shook his head in a solemn gesture.

"No…I think he would have wanted you to have it," said Alex as he swallowed hard upon seeing the glasses that his brother had worn for so long, "You gave him a lot and I don't think anybody else deserves it more than you. I guess…I should thank you for making my brother so happy even though I wasn't there when I should have been."

Alex couldn't bare much more of this sadness…For a part of him was still in denial. But in seeing the love of Scott's life and his grave standing before him, it finally began to truly sink in. It had been hard enough when he was just a young boy and was forced to contend with so much death…But it was equally hard this time around to find and lose his brother all over again.

"Just know that…If you ever need anything…Or ever want to talk…I'll be there," assured Alex, "I know how much my brother really loved you…And that makes you family."

"Thanks…" managed Jean as she held onto the glasses, promising to treasure them for as long as she lived.

As Alex left, Jean lingered for a little while longer on the ridge. She kept the glasses close to her…Looking down at their gentle shine as they reflected her image. These glasses were the last part of Scott that she had. In feeling them…It was almost as if she could connect with a part of him in some way. Deep in her mind, she still didn't want to believe that Scott was dead. Deep in her mind, she still tried to hold on to whatever hope she could muster. But the feelings that she experienced on that fateful moment when she felt the love of her life die in her mind were just too hard to forget. Yet still…Part of her yearned kept searching through the mind link…Refusing to accept it. It was sheer torture to her…Having a part of her that would not accept the fact that he was gone. But the feeling just wouldn't leave her…And it was unclear to her now if it ever would.

* * *

AN: Well, I can safely say things have become a lot more complicated now. Mystique and Magneto have no idea what they truly have now and the rest of the institute has already accepted Scott's death. Crazy isn't it? Well there's still more to come! It's not over by a long shot! Stay tuned to see how Scott, or Blake if you want to call him that now, reacts when he wakes up! There is still plenty of drama and angst to come! Stay tuned to see how things develop for all sides! And don't forget…REVIEW! Send them to me via email or post them on the fanfiction website! Thank you all for reading thus far and I wish you all the best!

STOP! DON'T GO YET! REVIEW!


	8. Awakening

**Between Life and Death  
Chapter 8: Awakening**

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* * *

Time for an update! But before I begin, a quick word to my reviewers!

**Heartsyhawk: **I'm honored you think I have genuine talent in my craft. I've put a lot of heart and effort into each story and I can't tell you how much it means to me to hear you say such kind words. I'm glad I could get you to see characters like Scott and Jean in a new light because I feel that each character deserves respect. You know how I feel about character bias and I wish to keep with that tradition with this and future stories. Thanks a ton for review. I always enjoy hearing from you my friend! You rock!  
**Tim Digidestined of Loyalty: **You'll see soon enough how Magneto and Mystique react to their mysterious new guest, but as for word on that fic by Agent-G, I don't know. I guess we'll both just have to wait and see!  
**The Uncanny R-Man: **Don't worry my friend, Sinister isn't done yet and there are still a few more characters to bring in! As for fluff, trust me…There will be plenty time for that with what I have planned! Thanks as always R-man! You rock dude! Peace out!  
**KSimonT-X: **Well I'm glad you like what I've done here my friend! I was a bit weary about doing something a bit radical with Sinister and Scott, but I'm glad you're enjoying where this is heading. I too am a big Cyclops fan and I hope you like where I take it! As for his new powers, you'll see soon enough! Thanks for the review my friend!  
**Darkness1: **Expect the unexpected my friend. Magneto and Mystique have just unknowingly made things much more difficult for Scott/Blake. And for Betsy and Emma, trust me…I brought them in for a reason and you'll see just what kind of impact they'll have on this fic. Things are complicated, but they are sure to evolve my friend. Thanks a bunch for your kind review man. You rule dude! Peace out!  
**Agent-G: **Yeah, I wanted to take some of the more complicated sides of Magneto and Mystique that I explored in "Extermination." It's an interesting thing to write about and rest assured, I will go into it further with this fic. As for Jean, you'll see how her grief affects her with what's to come. Thanks a ton for the review my friend! It's always great hearing from you man. I hope you like where I take this and once again, great job on "Wanda's Life."  
**Doza: **Sorry if my fics have been a bit tough to read because of the angst, but I've always been a drama writer and that's what I enjoy writing. I'm glad you've begun reading this now and I hope you enjoy it as much as "Extermination." As for Magneto and Mystique, their influence will show later on in this fic and after having getting so into their characters with my last fic, I just couldn't resist trying it again! Thanks for the review! I hope you continue to enjoy my story! Peace out!  
**Sentoris: **I know…Ironic isn't it? A funeral for Scott when he is now in such a bizarre state that he has no control over…It's rough, I know. It's affecting Scott's friends and it's especially having an impact on Jean. The emotions are far from over my friend and trust me…It's not over yet! Thanks a lot my friend. Your reviews are always a joy to receive and I hope you continue to enjoy my fic.  
**Simba317: **Wow, I'm honored you take the time to leave such great reviews and consider this story to be one of the 'good fics.' As for Scott/Blake, you'll see how he develops as he comes back to the world of the living. Magneto and Mystique truly have no idea what they've stumbled onto and their conflict with Sinister will only get more complicated. But you can be sure of one thing, it won't sit well with the psycho doctor that is responsible for creating such a powerful being. It will certainly be quite an emotional time for everybody in this fic, so don't think that I'm done adding to the craziness! I'm glad you like this story and I hope you continue to enjoy it with the excitement still to come! Thanks again for the awesome review and peace out!

Also, a special thanks to: **Ldypebsaby, Sprocket, Aniki19, Rogue14, Diaz, X00001, Wen1, GothikStrawberry, Randommarvelfan, Jenskott, Mark C, Jott luuuver, Ingrid, Lil Jean.**

**Also, I have a fic that I'm co-authoring with Agent-G called "Hellfire and Brimstone." It's got Jott, Romy, Wandurt, Kiotr, Loro, and plenty more! Please read and review it! Also, I have another ongoing fic on the adultfanfiction website, so if you want to, go to my profile and check that out as well! And don't forget to review!**

* * *

He was in a state that felt like dreaming and reality at the same time. Everything around him was completely dark. He was dazed, dizzy, and confused. He didn't know how he had gotten here, who he was, or even where he had come from. What was this place anyways? Was this death? Was this some kind of prison we're there's no difference between the tangible and the abstract? No matter how many questions he asked, no answers came.

The only sound that could be heard was the slow, rhythmic thumping of his heart and the short, anxious gasps of his breathing. He tried moving in one direction, but nothing happened…It was all the same. He tried moving in another…But it only delivered the same result. There were no walls, no ceiling, nothing…This place seemed to have no meaningful form. The ubiquitous blackness began to close in on him as he tried to find something…Anything that would give him some answers. His mind was going a mile a minute, but no answers were coming.

"Hello?" he spoke in deep voice that he didn't even recognize even though it came directly from him, "Is anybody there?"

His voice didn't even echo in the darkness. It was as if it was swallowed and consumed by the void he was stuck in.

"Where am I? Who am I? What's going on here?" he asked aloud, but nobody was listening…No answers were coming.

He couldn't remember his name, his life, or even what had led him into this strange, ambiguous place. There were no hints, dreams, or flashes to go on…Only nothingness. Closing his eyes, he grasped his head and tried to probe deep into the recesses of his consciousness to find the answers to the seemingly simple questions that were driving him mad.

"Somebody?" he said again, "Anybody!"

His anxiety only grew as the darkness began to feel like a cage. He tried running in one direction, but there wasn't anything to run towards. Everything was the same…There was no escape. As he grew increasingly frustrated by this endless darkness, he let out a loud, angry yell at the top of his lungs…But the darkness only absorbed it like it had everything else. Nothing was changed and nothing was giving him any answers. But the questions just kept lingering…Pestering him like a red hot mark in the depths of his brain.

"Please…Somebody! WHO AM I?"

* * *

While the rest of the Acolytes rested and recovered throughout the next day after the battle with Mr. Sinister and the Nasty Boys, Magneto and Mystique stayed awake and kept a constant watch on their new guest that they had extracted from Sinister's laboratory. The young man known only as Blake Hellstrom to them remained in a deep state of unconsciousness, yet his body was slowly yet surly healing itself back to the real world.

He had been moved into a spare bedroom so he would wake up in more comfortable surroundings rather than a cold, sterile hospital bed. There, he had been closely monitored for any signs of change or disturbance since the scans of his body had turned up some very unexpected readings. They didn't know how his mind would function or to what extent his powers would be, but they hoped to get these answers soon enough. If he was indeed Sinister's only test subject then they had succeeded in stopping the mad scientist from carrying out his insane dream and delayed him indefinitely. But even if this was a victory for them, Sinister was still out there and he would let something like this stand in his way. As long as they had this young man, they would have what they needed to keep him at bay…For now.

"Any change?" said Mystique as she entered the main monitoring room that watched over Blake's condition via surveillance camera.

"I'm afraid not…" replied Magneto, "His body is still healing at a slow, constant rate. But so far I think my estimates are on track and he should awaken within the next 12 hours."

"Any ideas on how to handle him once he does wake up?" asked Mystique, feeling that simply watching over him was the easy part and dealing with him in a confused state would be the real challenge.

"That…I still haven't been able to surmise," admitted Magneto, much to his dismay, for even a man of his intellect couldn't even begin to ascertain how he would go about ensuring this young man's stability both mentally and physically, "Maybe you would be better at it than me. After all, you were principal of a high school at one point. You should have at least some knowledge on dealing with confused young men."

"Well with all do respect Eric," argued the shape shifter in response, "This isn't some nerdy, insecure misfit or some undisciplined troublemaker…This is a guy who's had his mind wiped out by a madman and had his entire body structure messed up and reorganized. And need I remind you…I wasn't even that liked as a principal, so don't think that's anything to go by."

"But you'd still probably be better at it than me," said Magneto he looked back at the image of the unmoving young man on the monitor screen, "The most experience I've ever had was with Wanda and Pietro and look what that led to."

The master of magnetism's mood shifted into a more sour demeanor as he mentioned his estranged children. Not long after he had been freed from Apocalypse's control, he told Wanda the truth about what he had done to her as a little girl and how he threw her away into an insane asylum because she was too angry and unmanageable. It was one of the hardest things he had ever done and naturally…Wanda didn't react to it very well. The screaming and yelling that ensued still hung strong in his mind to this day, but she deserved to know the truth, even if it meant once again losing his daughter to his own personal stupidity. However, even after he had told her and he didn't flee or fight her wrath…She did not kill him like he thought she so desperately wanted to. She ended up simply hexing him away and simply collapsed in a wave of tears…And he had not seen her since.

Mystique, however, had watched over her and Pietro dutifully ever since her freedom from Apocalypse as well. She often reported to him how she and Pietro were doing and over the past few months, she had given him hopeful reports that they were on the road to recovery. Pietro, after a lot of hexing and coaxing on his part, had managed to slowly rebuild a relationship with his sister after Magneto said that he had nothing to do with what he did to her and he forced him to follow his plans. But it still didn't mend the rift in their familial relationship. Magneto tried to remain hopeful…But with his war against Sinister taking up a great deal of his time and energy, the rebuilding of their relationship would have to wait.

"I guess we'll just have to worry about it when the time comes," said Mystique, finally breaking the awkward silence that had ensued after the mention of Wanda and Pietro, "The best we can do now is play it by ear and hope we don't screw up."

"Very eloquently put Raven…" said Eric with a slight laugh, but still not seeing how to go about dealing with this young man, "But if all else fails…I guess that would leave only Xavier to turn to."

"Let's keep that as a last resort Eric," said Mystique, still not wanting to get her kids caught up in this complicated affair, "You know how I feel about that."

"Indeed I do," said Magneto as he turned away from the monitor and kept it on stand by for now.

"Where are you going now?" asked the shape shifter.

"To get some rest," replied Magneto, "I would urge you to do the same. It's going to be a long day tomorrow and need I remind you that neither of us has slept much in three days."

"Well with all do respect Eric, I'm quite use to sleepless nights," quipped Mystique as she remained near the console, not feeling ready to turn in yet.

"As am I…But keep in mind the situation here Raven," said Magneto as he opened the door and prepared to retire to his quarters, "We're going to have to deal with a dazed and confused young man with a great deal of power. Trust me…We'll all need our rest."

Raven Darkholme took that under consideration as she watched the master of magnetism leave. Now it meant she was probably the only one up at this point given the late hour of the night. But for some reason or another, she found herself standing watch over the monitor. Blake was still a ways from regaining consciousness, but he would eventually and he would require a great deal of help. But for both her and her associate, it was unclear whether or not they could provide such help given their track record in dealing with confused, mutant adolescence. While she was no poster girl for understanding troubled youths, she was no stranger to hardship.

Ever since her experience with Apocalypse, she had been very different in terms of personality. For the first time in a long while, she wasn't working to cause or prevent some great destruction be it against humans or mutants. She even returned to the Brotherhood for a brief while, working to fix up the house and get them back into school with her influences. It was a quiet, peaceful existence…And it was the first time in a long while she had experienced it. But upon learning about Sinister from Magneto and hearing the kind of things he would bring from Destiny, she once again found herself in a struggle.

Compared to Xavier, Sinister was a far more difficult opponent with a far harsher agenda. Now that she looked back on it, fighting Xavier almost made her just like that mad man…Angry, twisted, and full of hate. Fighting Sinister was almost like fighting everything she hated about herself, but even if they did eventually kill him…How would that change her?

For many months now she had been contemplating this and many other questions about her path in life. Destiny had always warned her about the dark person she was becoming, but she never listened…She only worried about where she would end up and not how she got there. She had already alienated her children forever and now she doubted they even acknowledged her existence anymore. That day in Egypt where they rejected her hurt more than she ever could have imagined. But like it or not…They were still her kids.

Returning to the Brotherhood had been nothing short of therapeutic for her and even Destiny agreed that being less a boss and more a guardian to them was really helping her cope with what she had been going through. She remembered how Eric once commented on her being less Mystique and more Raven Darkholme. Even the Brotherhood boys were becoming more fond of her and she had actually developed somewhat of a friendship with Wanda after she learned the truth. But still…She yearned for that same kind of feeling with her own kids. It may have seemed like an impossible task…But still, she could always dream.

* * *

"Raven…Raven, wake up!" said an urgent voice as Mystique felt someone gently shaking her from her unconscious state.

The shape shifter found herself groggily awakened from her current position on the table where she had fallen asleep.

"Eric…What is it?" she groaned, still tried from over three days of sleep deprivation.

"It's Blake…He's waking up sooner than I had anticipated," said Eric, now shifting to a more serious tone, "Come on…We have go. He could grow unstable from confusion if we're not there."

Upon hearing this, Mystique proceeded to shake off her sleepiness, rise to her feet. She followed Eric down the hall and towards the room where the young man had resided since they moved his body over a day ago. Even though he only appeared to have no memories, both mutants were prepared for anything unexpected, given that this was Mr. Sinister they were dealing with. It was still unclear exactly what he had done to him and the effects it had were still in question.

As they opened the door into a darkened room, Raven turned on the dim lights…Keeping the room from being to overwhelming once he woke up. As soon as they both entered, they noticed him stirring. He didn't look as though he was in any physical pain, but there was no telling how quickly that would change once he became more aware.

"I thought you said he wasn't going to wake up for another 12 hours," Mystique whispered to Eric as they stood anxiously over the young man's bed.

"It's been six hours Mystique…Remember, you fell asleep," reminded Eric.

"Oh…Right," replied the shape shifter sheepishly.

"His body simply must have healed faster," surmised the master of magnetism, "He must have wanted to wake up…"

"Wanted to?" questioned Raven, "I thought he was in a coma?"

"He was…" said Eric, "But strange things can happen to people when they are at death's door. And given that Sinister was involved with this…Don't rule anything out."

Suddenly, a low groan came from depths of the young man's body as he began to stir more. Both Mystique and Magneto stood ready for anything, but chose to take a more subtle approach in dealing with something like this.

"Blake…Blake can you hear me?" said Magneto, keeping his distance and giving the young man as much space as possible.

The young man that was stirring from a coma he had been stuck in for days now could barely make out the sound of his voice as he struggled to collect his jumbled mess of thoughts. He struggled to open his eyes in his weakened state, the effects of the coma still hanging strong over him. While his body still hadn't completely healed from it, his mind was working faster and had fought through the darkness back to the world of the living. His vision was very blurred, yet he could sense two presences near his side. He tried turning to face them, but he found it very difficult given that his head felt like it weighed fifty pounds.

"Blake?" repeated Magneto upon seeing his eyes open to the world for the first time after an undetermined amount of time.

Even as his hearing cleared up, he didn't recognize that name. Who was Blake? Was that who he was? But if it was, why didn't it feel like him? He tried to say something, but he couldn't get anything out. It was almost as if he had never used his voice before, but he knew how to speak. He tried to sit up, but his body was still somewhat under the effects of the coma.

As his vision cleared, the two figures before him became clearer…But he still didn't recognize either of them. The white haired man in a cape and the blue skinned woman with yellow eyes didn't spark any kind of reaction in him. They were two strangers in a strange place that he had never been. He tried to remember how he had gotten here or who these people even were…But there was nothing in his head by darkness. He tried to remember his name and who he was…But he couldn't even remember that.

He tried not to panic and determine just what the hell was going on here, but he could draw nothing from his mind other than a total blank. There wasn't even a hint of familiarity with anything…It was as if he had just come into the world with absolutely no memory to begin with. Upon feeling his strength return to him, he finally managed to speak in a deep, raspy voice.

"Where…Am I?" he said.

Even his own voice didn't sound familiar. It was as if somebody else had just talked and not him. It only added to his confusion as he tried to probe deep into his mind for any hint of understanding or clarity, but nothing was there.

"You're in my lair," answered Magneto, "Don't worry…You're safe now."

This only added to his confusion as he slowly brought a hand to rub the sore temples of his head.

"Safe? Safe from what?" he asked, desperate for any answers.

"Safe from Sinister…Don't you remember?" asked Magneto, even though he felt he already knew what his response would be.

The young man tried to think…But he couldn't even remember Sinister. There were no hints, dreams, or any images to help him…Just emptiness and many unanswered questions.

"I…Can't," he struggled, grasping his head even tighter.

"Well I guess Sinister did a real number on you," said Mystique, "The reason why you can't remember is because he wiped your mind clean of any memories. He probably would have gone further if we hadn't stopped him when we did."

This was a lot for such a confused young man to take in, but at least it offered some explanation as to why he couldn't remember anything. As he managed to bring himself up to a sitting position, he got a better view of the two mutants before him. He was still dazed, but at least now there was some hope for him. If these two knew what happened that made him feel so confused, then maybe they knew the answers to the questions that were plaguing his mind.

"Just…Who are you? And why did you bring me here?" asked the still weakened young man.

Magneto chose to answer this one. So far, the young man had not shown any open hostility or any hints of Sinister controlling him. The only thing that seemed different was his memories. And if he was not an enemy, then hopefully he would prove to be an ally.

"My name is Eric Lensherr…But others know me as Magneto," he told him, "And this is my friend Raven Darkholme…Also known as Mystique. We are both mutants. We were born with special powers that allows us to do things that normal humans could never do. I have the power of creating and manipulation magnetism…Hence the name. Mystique is a shape shifter, meaning she can mold and mimic her appearance in any way she sees fit. We both have great power written in our blood…And you are no different my boy."

"You mean…I'm a mutant too?" he asked, finding all this somewhat strange to process.

"Indeed, and we have the scientific scans to back it up," added Eric, as he let the young man take all of this in.

"But…If I'm a mutant…Then what can I do?" asked the young man, now feeling as though his mind was just being bombarded with more questions.

"We're…Not exactly sure," said Magneto as he recalled the strange scans that were done earlier, "You see…While you are a mutant, you're genetic makeup is unlike anything I have ever seen in my long, illustrious life. Most mutants are classified by certain classes and levels. Most of those who actively manifest powers like myself are call alpha class mutants. The level within that class often depends on the intensity of the power, so naturally Mystique and I are at a fairly high level. You, on the other hand, possess more than a simple X-gene…You possess a completely enhanced genetic structure that does more than just give you a unique mutant ability. It also gives you enhanced body functions…Everything from brain power to healing, which would explain why you awoke from your coma earlier than I had calculated."

Hearing that he was a mutant was shocking enough…But hearing that he was something so exotic was something completely different. In his mind he struggled to comprehend the true meaning of this strange new knowledge. It was hard enough without any memories, but being some kind of freak only compounded his situation.

"So…What am I?" he asked.

Eric Lensherr was forced to pause and think about that for a moment. In all his years of studying mutation, he had never come across a case like this before. Now he found himself in a position he hadn't been in since he worked with trauma victims over two decades ago. It was at times like this he wished he had Xavier's uncanny ability to connect with those who were confused about who or what they are. Normally, he would have been more commanding when faced with a new mutant, but he was not out to create a team for world domination or to punish all humans. Apocalypse had changed his goals and his mind in many ways, but the experience had not taught him to handle something like this.

"I…Honestly can't tell you with absolute certainty," said Magneto after he considered his confused words, "The man who wiped your memories clean, Mr. Sinister, did something to your body and DNA to make you the advanced mutant you are now. You are now in a class and level that mutant science has not yet come to ascertain, but you are still a mutant none the less with your humanity still intact. That alone is something to be thankful for."

Eric had hoped to lift his spirits, but it appeared his words had the opposite effect and a look of anxiety spread across his face. He didn't seem to take any comfort in the fact that he was now a highly advanced mutant who still alive had everything that made him human. Instead, this only compounded the situation with his memories. Now part of him wasn't even sure if he wanted to know given that he was this strange, genetic anomaly.

"So I'm a freak…" he said in deep voice, "A freak with no name."

Not getting the response he had hoped for, Mystique chose to step in and try her luck. While this was not like settling a dispute with the Brotherhood boys or dealing with high school students as a principal, it was still a matter of helping someone and that's what she was going to try to do.

"You're not a freak…Hell, compared to my real appearance you're downright normal," said Mystique, trying to lighten the mood with a little humor, "And you do have a name."

The shape shifter proceeded to show him the folder she had extracted from Sinister's lab. A small look of hope actually began to show as the confused young man looked at the small, brown folder with intent on finding the answers it had to offer.

"According to these records, your name is Blake Hellstrom," said the shape shifter, "You are 19 years old and you are an orphan from New York City. Is any of this ringing a bell?"

He tried to remember, but even his name didn't sound familiar. However, it was at least one answer he had been seeking, although hearing that he was an orphan didn't raise his hopes too much in finding someone out there who knew who he was.

"Sorry…But I still can't remember," replied Blake.

"Well there isn't much else in these records other than papers from the orphanage you were at…Which I'm afraid to say is long gone now…And some old foster homes that we couldn't track down. But from the looks of it, you were somewhat of a drifter before Sinister took you…And I guess that's all we really know at this point."

They were answers…But not very hopeful answers. He had no family, no home…Nothing. Even if he could remember…Would it really be worth knowing? Blake didn't seem to respond to this new data and simply sank back into his bed, turning away from the two mutants that had saved him. He closed his eyes, wanting to simply return to his coma and not be faced with this confusion any more.

His reaction was one of surprise to Mystique, for she wanted to tell him more. But before she could, Eric placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head to dissuade her from doing so. He then proceeded to lead her out of the room, closing the door behind them and leaving the young man to digest everything that was happening to him. Raven didn't want to leave, but Eric knew from experience that it was better if he be given time to himself.

"Give him time Raven…He needs to rest," said Magneto as he saw the shape shifter look back at the closed door, "A lot has happened to him and it's definitely something that he'll need time to process. He'll need all the help he can get in getting back his memories…Although from the looks of it, there isn't much I can see worth remembering."

It was a solemn notion, knowing that he had no family or life to go back to, nor many things worth remembering in the first place. As hard as it was for him to take in what had happened to him, both mutants could help but wonder…Was it better this way if he didn't remember? Wouldn't that be less painful for him? Mystique didn't know what to think knowing she could never know how Blake truly felt. And she wondered…If she had her memories wiped clean, would she even want to recall any of the misery that her life had been? It was clear that the young man needed help, and from the looks of it only she and Eric were the ones that could give it to him.

"But still…There must be something we can do," she said, never one to give in that easily.

"You know…That sounds like something one of Xavier's student's would say," smiled the master of magnetism, hoping to lighten the mood.

This earned him a brief scorn from the shape shifter, but it wasn't too far from the truth when she thought about it. If he had said the same thing just over a year ago, she might have taken it as an insult. But after having been saved from Apocalypse by the X-men and seeing how dark and bitter she was, it didn't seem like such a bad thing anymore.

"Just don't tell the rest of the Brotherhood," said Raven, managing a smile despite the remark, "I don't want them thinking I've gone soft."

"Don't worry…If there's one thing you know I can do, it's keep a secret," said Magneto as they made their way back down the hall.

"I won't deny that," replied the shape shifter, "So what are we going to do now?"

Magneto considered their next course of action now that they had delivered a devastating blow to Sinister and one of his unfortunate victims to take care of. Since this was something he didn't have a whole lot of experience in, he was somewhat in the dark. He knew that this was more Xavier's field, but he still didn't want to bring his friend into this meaningless war. Sinister was his problem…And it was his duty to take care of him. Not to mention, he knew that Raven didn't want to put her kids in any danger. After what Sinister did to Blake, she was now probably more determined than ever to keep her children out of it, for she owed them that much after all the mistakes she had made.

"I'm not exactly sure Raven…" answered Magneto upon pondering the possibilities, "So far, we've been able to determine that Blake is not under Sinister's control and he poses no real risk. He's just a confused young man in search of answers…Something I'm sure you and I are no stranger to."

"That's putting it lightly…" commented Mystique, knowing the truth in those words.

"Indeed, which is why he must stay here," said Eric, "I'll inform the rest of the Acolytes. It's best that they know the situation."

"Good…You do that. I'll keep watching over Blake just in case something happens," said Mystique as she turned back towards the monitor room, "I think it would be best if check on him as well in order to let him know that he's in a friendly place."

As she walked off, Magneto couldn't help but laugh again as he turned back to face his shape shifting friend.

"You really have gone soft haven't you Raven?" he laughed, prompting Mystique to turn around and face him with an ill-humored grin on her face.

"Hey…I don't tease you about it so the least you can do is not tease me about it," she responded.

And with that, they both went their separate ways.

* * *

In a large, old building not far from the boundaries of New York City, Sinister and his Nasty Boys entered what appeared to be on old military laboratory. There was an array of old, rusted machinery strewn along the unkempt floor and the smell of old chemicals hung strong in the air. This area around the more shady parts of the area did not look like a great place to set up shop for the kind of advanced genetic experiments that Sinister liked to do. And if this truly was where they were going to set up shop, then it only further reinforced the notion that this man was a few beakers shy of a chemistry set.

"Ugh…" said Emma as she saw several rats scurry across the center of the room, "You can't be serious Essex! I mean…This place? It ought to be condemned!"

"Quiet Emma…" said Sinister in an annoyed tone, who was in no mood for anybody's insolence at this point, "Follow me…"

Sinister led his team of Nasty Boys through several uninhabited rooms, each as dirty and unkempt as the last. No parts of this place showed any of the qualities of a kind of laboratory that a guy like Sinister would use and Betsy and Emma both remained skeptical about what they were doing here.

After a brief trek down one of the halls, Sinister stopped in front of what looked to be an old elevator, which seemed illogical because from the looks of it the building didn't have any power.

"What are you doing now?" said an exasperated Betsy, "This place doesn't look like it has any power."

Sinister merely grinned as he pushed the button to activate the elevator and held it for several seconds until it lit up.

"Looks can be deceiving Psylocke…"

Then, as the doors opened, the Nasty Boys were surprised to see a fully lit elevator standing before them in the darkness of the building.

"Come," ordered Sinister, "Let me show you just how much I've planned for this momentous time…"

As they all followed Sinister into the elevator, a strange keypad opened up in the side of the wall and the mad scientist pushed a series of buttons, entering a code of some sorts by the look of it. Once he finished, the elevator suddenly started moving down several floors beyond the basement level and into someplace more hidden. Then, as the elevator doors opened…Both Betsy and Emma looked in shock at what they saw.

"Welcome to my secondary laboratory…" said Sinister as the glowing lights illuminated what looked the kind of high tech place that he would work at, "This is the place where I did the research that helped me construct the 'Final Step' before I formed the Nasty Boys. All the data I need to make another one is right here…Hidden from the rest of the world and from Magneto's prying eyes."

It was a strange sight seeing such an elaborate facility accessed through a seemingly abandoned building outside New York City, but then again…Strange happenings were something that Sinister had come to be known best by in all the time that they had been working for him. In seeing this new lab, Psylocke once again became more hopeful that she could somehow get her old body back, but didn't look forward to going through the same ordeal as last time.

"Sinister…Does this place have the necessary stuff to make the body for me that you promised?" she asked intently.

"But of course…" grinned Sinister, "And these servers have a cluster of backup files that include the information to clear the name of Emma Frost from the ever omnipotent Hellfire Club."

This caught Emma's attention just as much as it had Betsy's. The prospect of getting what they had worked so hard for over the past months after seeing the old facility destroyed once again bolstered their hopes…Even if it meant working for this madman once again. But in the end, they hoped it would be worth it.

"So what do you plan to do here?" asked Gorgeous George as Sinister activated several computer mainframes and brought up a detailed schematic on the screen.

Mr. Sinister was never one to take defeat lightly and Magneto had done a good job of deceiving him and delaying the completion of his ultimate dream. However, time meant nothing to the old man who did not age or deteriorate like normal mortal humans. He had worked patiently for decades on this one project and he would finish it no matter how long it took. Nothing was going to stand in his way…Not Magneto, not the Acolytes…Nothing.

"It's simple…I am going to rebuild my machine right here," he boasted, feeling all the more determined to upstage Magneto and show him just how pointless his resistance meant, "I have all the data I need and you all are going to help me. But there's one vital component that must be used and handled with great care…"

"And what might that be?" asked Vertigo.

A dark grin then spread across Sinister's face as he stood ready to rebuild that which Magneto thought he had so successfully destroyed.

"My creation…Blake Hellstrom."

* * *

AN: Strange, is it not? Magneto and Mystique don't know that Blake is Scott and now even Scott doesn't know who he is either. And Sinister has once again proven that he can be knocked down, but he can never be knocked out. It's getting complicated…But don't worry, there's plenty more to come! So what do you think of Magneto and Mystique's transformation? Part of it came from my portrayal of them in my last fic, "Extermination" and the hints dropped after the last episode. There will be more of that later on, but for now…Things just have to clear up for the most part. So what do you all think? Do you like this story thus far? Please tell me! Send me your reviews via email or post them on the fanfiction website! Thank you all for reading and I wish you all the best!

REVIEW! I'M ALWAYS HUNGRY FOR REVIEWS!


	9. Learning And Coping

**Between Life and Death  
Chapter 9: Learning and Coping**

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You know the drill! Before I begin, a quick word to my oh so kind reviewers!

**Howlerdrode: **The mystery is just beginning my friend, but you're right about Sinister…Trustworthiness is definitely not a trait one should associate with him. Things with Sinister, Blake, Magneto, Mystique, and the X-men are just starting to take shape and I hope you enjoy where I take it! Thanks a lot for the review my friend!  
**Heartsyhawk:** Well this story is far from over my friend so expect the unexpected from this plot! A reformed Magneto and Mystique was just so interesting to write with my last fic that doing it this time around gives me the chance to go at it differently under a new set of circumstances with Sinister. You'll see more of their changed behavior throughout this fic, so I hope you enjoy it this time around as much as you did last time! Thank you so much for the kind reviews you've been given me and I hope you continue to like my story! You rock! Peace out!  
**Goofn1: **My friend, you need not worry! Lance shall make his appearance soon enough! I hope you like it and thanks a ton for reading and reviewing!  
**Doza: **I know these last few chapters haven't had much action, but trust me…There's plenty to come! I'm glad I've been able to give a more interesting perspective on Mystique and Magneto for you and I hope you like the part they play in this fic. Thanks a lot for your review on my fic! I hope you continue to read and enjoy it! Peace!  
**Agent-G: **Yeah, showing Magneto and Mystique as being more complicated than evil, sadistic enemies is an interesting undertaking and after having so much fun with it in "Extermination" it's interesting to do it again under a new set of circumstances. As for Blaze, you'll just have to see for yourself the kind of role he plays with both his character and his powers because trust me…They'll be important! Thanks a ton for the review my friend! It's always great hearing from you man and I hope you enjoy where I take this!  
**Simba317: **Ah my most intensive reviewer…I feel all warm and fuzzy inside! Magneto and Mystique really have no idea what they have in their possession now. It was something neither they nor Sinister could have expected, but either way it's going to have an impact on Scott/Blake as he copes with not knowing who he is. Magneto and Mystique may have changed, but they have not taken on something like this before, however I think you're right about them having the ability to do so as long as they remember that which they have learned in wake of Apocalypse. Their changes along with what's going to happen to Scott/Blake is still to come so I hope you continue to read and enjoy it! Thanks a ton for the awesome review! I really appreciate it! Peace out!

Also, a special thanks to: **Rogue14, Quillian, Diaz, Jott luuuver, Wen1, GothikStrawberry, Lydpebsaby, X00001, The Uncanny R-Man, Mark C,**

**Also, I have a fic that I'm co-authoring with Agent-G called "Hellfire and Brimstone." It's got Jott, Romy, Wandurt, Kiotr, Loro, and plenty more! Please read and review it! Also, I have another ongoing fic on the adultfanfiction website, so if you want to, go to my profile and check that out as well! And don't forget to review!**

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It had been nearly eight hours since Blake had first woken up. While he remained in bed, he did not sleep one second. Every bit of his mind was fixated on trying to remember that which had been taken from him by Mr. Sinister. But despite his desperate attempts, he was met with continued darkness. And even if he could remember, from what Magneto and Mystique there wasn't much to go back to. It was a solemn, depressing feeling knowing that if he did remember…It might make him all the more depressed about his life. It seemed like a no win situation, but his mind kept probing at a vigorous level…Searching in the depths of his consciousness for any sign of his past.

While he was lost in this dazed state, the door to his darkened room opened and Mystique stepped in carrying a trey of food.

"Blake…How are you doing?" asked the shape shifter.

The young man only turned to face her, but didn't say anything…Which was more or less a clear response.

"Well…I brought you some food," said Mystique as she set the trey down on a table beside him.

"I'm not very hungry," he said in his deep voice.

Mystique let out an exasperated sigh, for this was going to be even harder than she had imagined. It was clear that he was still very paralyzed by his confusion and was trying without success to remember. Never having dealt with someone like this before, the shape shifter was forced to make much of her actions up along the way. Normally, that wasn't how she liked to operate, but this situation hadn't given her much of a choice.

"Want to talk about it?" said Mystique as she stood beside his bed, pretty much just acting on impulse and reaction now.

At first there was no response and it almost made Mystique want to leave, but to her surprise…He actually sat up and rubbed his sore temples.

"I don't know what more there is to talk about," said Blake with a deep sigh, "I try and I try…I probe deeper and deeper…Yet I can't find anything. It's as if my life up until this point was completely erased…And this is just some kind of dream for an incomplete soul."

Not being able to relate, Mystique was unsure of what she should say next. She had dealt with murderers, assassins, giant robots, and ancient mutants bent on destroying the world…Yet in all her years of experience she always felt that trying to help disillusioned teens was the hardest. She was never really good at it when she was principal of Bayville and she didn't see how she could be that good at it now. Never the less, Eric had told her that they must go beyond their normal roles to help this man. Sinister had had warped him in many ways and if they weren't there for him then the mad scientist surly would be.

"Well I can safely tell you that this isn't a dream and your life hasn't been completely erased," she responded as she sat on his bed beside him.

"It has in every way that matters," he quipped.

"You may think that, but it never meant that you didn't live a life," reasoned Mystique, "You are still someone whose life had a beginning and who grew with time…Mr. Sinister just got in the way."

She saw the expression on his face shift to one of anger as she mentioned Sinister's name, not that she could blame him. The man had taken a lot away from him…More than she ever could have known. And it was hard to contemplate just how he felt.

"But that's not the worst part…" he added, "The worst part is…From what you told me, there might not be much worth remembering anyways. For all I know, my life has been full of nothing but pain, loneliness, and sorrow. And before all this happened, I might have done anything to forget my memories. Yet I still find myself trying hard to remember…"

"Maybe there's more to your life than we told you," said the shape shifter, trying her hardest to get him out of this rut he had buried himself in, "We don't know the details…Only the facts. You have to consider that maybe there is at least one part of your memory that's worth recalling. Even if it is full of sadness, sorrow, and bitterness…One good memory can be worth a thousand bad ones."

Blake then shifted his gaze back towards the shape shifter sitting on the side of his bed.

"Speaking from experience Ms. Darkholme?" asked the young man upon seeing the look in her eyes.

'Great…' she thought, 'I should've just put a billboard on my face…'

Blake may have been stricken with amnesia, but he was certainly not stupid. His mind had picked up something in her words and tone and now he sought more assurance even though he was unaware of the true meaning behind what Mystique had said.

"Yeah…I guess you could say that," admitted Mystique with a lighthearted smile, "And please…Don't call me that. It makes me feel too old. Call me Mystique or Raven."

"Okay…Raven," he said, falling silent once more.

Mystique didn't know what to say next. Everything was still in a state of uncertainty. They had no idea how they were going to help this young man, they didn't know what Sinister was planning now, and there didn't seem to be any end in sight to this meaningless war. Blake was just a very unlucky participant that was not a part of this conflict whether he liked it or not, but he would have to stay strong if he was going to get through it and get his life back.

"Well, I'll leave you alone for now," said the shape shifter as she got off his bed, "Just remember, Eric and I are here to help you. I know you didn't choose to become a part of this, but as long as you are you might as well stay strong and fight. Because if there's one thing my life has taught me, it's that no matter bad life is or how harsh your memories are…You must never stop fighting."

Blake considered those words as he looked back at the departing shape shifter. It may not have given him any answers, but in his mind it gave him something much more valuable…Drive.

"Raven…" he said, causing her to turn around in the doorway and face him once more, "Thank you."

With a lighthearted smile, she simply nodded in response as she closed the door behind her…Feeling somewhat lighter upon hearing him say that.

'Well…That's my therapy for the day,' she thought as she headed back to the lounge area where most of the others were already sitting down to lunch.

Maybe this was why Xavier did what he did…Because of this feeling that Blake had given her when he acknowledged that she had helped him do something that he could not have done on his own. Perhaps it was more than just being a pacifist. Normally, when she had first started handling the Brotherhood boys she didn't help them so much as recruit them. They still had the same problems after a year that they had when they first arrived.

After Apocalypse, she became less openly bitter and more introverted and reserved. It gave her an opportunity to listen to them and learn more about them, yet she hadn't gone the distance that Xavier had in helping his students. She had always known that part of the X-men's strength was in their unity and dedication towards one another. Between the students and the teachers, there was more trust and friendship rather than strict rules and regiment. Maybe by helping Blake in this way, she could prove to herself just what her true purpose was in life and if the decisions she had made in the past were justified. And in the end…Maybe it would make her a better person along with Eric.

After Mystique left, Blake got up for the first time and walked around the room. Despite being in his coma, his legs hadn't suffered too much and his body seemed to be in working order. But as he found himself completely healed from his weakened state so quickly, he couldn't help but wonder about the powers Magneto had told him about. If he was a mutant, less alone a highly advanced one, what exactly could he do?

As the young man walked throughout the room, he felt this strange energy in and around his body. It permeated all throughout the room and extended into his total being. He wasn't sure what this was, but he soon found himself closing his eyes…Concentrating on all this energy that seemed to be around him in many different forms.

"What is this?" he asked himself, "What can I do?"

As he closed his eyes, he felt a strange connection with the rest of his body and the energy in his room. It was as if every part of him sensed this energy as if it were completely tangible. Soon, he found himself taking this energy into his body as if some invisible hand that extended from his being gathered and collected it within himself and suddenly…His hands began to glow a bright red color.

"Wow…" he said as he looked down at his glowing hands.

But it didn't stop there. The glowing soon extended towards all other parts of his body as well. When he absorbed it…He felt a powerful strength within his muscles that made him feel as though he could lift a big rig truck. And it wasn't just his muscles…He found that he could move this energy to other parts of his body such as his eyes…Which brought a strange feeling to them he could not describe. When this energy reached his brain, he felt the intensity and speed of his thoughts accelerate beyond all normal levels as if everything ran in a fast forward motion…Yet he still understood it all.

Every part of his body felt intoned…Connected…And strong. With a subtle shift in this concentration, he dissipated the energy harmlessly back into the air and tapped it again just to see how much he had control over this. Soon, he felt as though the glowing was completely yielded to his will and he had perfect control over it. As his mind adjusted to all the enhancements that Sinister did to him, he felt completely at one with his body…As if he could feel the greater strength within every part. This invigorating sensation made him feel energized and strong even if his memories still eluded him. But this power was still new to him and he could not fully understand it on his own.

However, as the young man felt the confusing and bewildering strength of his enhanced form, he remembered what Mystique had said…He was not alone.

* * *

After grabbing a quick bite to eat, Mystique found Magneto in his lair taking a break from his usual duties to read one of his many books. After the Apocalypse incident, the master of magnetism had found himself reading more and taking more time off for purposes other than some grand master plan. It gave him a sense of self assurance and relaxed his tired mind from everything he had struggled with since his return like Sinister and his estranged children. Enjoying the simpler things in life made him feel more…Human, and it was a feeling he had long negated.

"Did you eat yet?" asked Mystique, "Because if you haven't, Sabretooth is about to finish everything off so you'd better hurry before it's too late."

"Don't worry…I chose to eat early," said Eric as he looked up from his book, "Did you check on Blake?"

"Yes, I brought him some food…But he's still very dazed," said Mystique, "However, I think he'll come around. I actually got him to talk a little and he's definitely a strong person, but he's just had a lot of bad things happen to him. But I can relate…"

"I'm sure you can…" said Magneto with a grin, "If you got him to talk then you must have said the right things. You wouldn't happen to be…"

"Don't even say it Eric…" interrupted the shape shifter, "We've already had the talk about being referred to as 'soft.'"

"I know," said Magneto, still grinning, "But I don't see why we must hide it. After all, you're the one who gets angry about it every time I mention it."

"Oh, and you don't?" quipped the shape shifter in response.

"I do…But I don't raise my voice to the point where I start making death threats."

Mystique then mumbled something incoherently under her breath, but it said enough to Eric to tell him that he was right in some ways.

"Look…" she said, growing serious once more, "You know as well as I do that we aren't prime examples of solid mental health. You've been just as messed up as I have since Apocalypse. But just because it changed us doesn't mean I want to talk about it. There are still some things I need to make sense out of before that time comes."

"I understand Raven…I too have many things to put into perspective before I can even begin to call myself whole again," said Magneto, "But just because we have serious problems, it doesn't mean that we can't have a serious sense of humor about it."

Mystique simply rolled her eyes at her friend's take on their situation.

"You know…Sometimes I feel you'd be less annoying if you were your old, homicidal self," she joked, "But then again, it would be a step backwards now wouldn't it?"

"Indeed," he said as he got up from his seat and stretched his limbs, "And on another note, Gambit has recently discovered something major that we may or may not have to take into consideration in our conflict with Sinister."

"What do you mean?" asked Mystique curiously, "Exactly how major is it? Does it have to do with Sinister?"

"No, this time it's someone else for a change," answered the master of magnetism, "It seems as though Xavier's Institute has been paralyzed into a state of chaos and sorrow."

"Xavier's?" said Mystique as her thoughts quickly shifted towards her kids, "Why? What's going on?"

Magneto could tell that Mystique was still very much concerned for the well being of Kurt and Rogue. While she had not come into contact with them since that day in Egypt after they were freed from Apocalypse, she still liked to keep tabs on them and watch them from afar. It was hard not being able to interact with them, but it was better than not seeing them at all.

"It seems as thought every one there is in a state of mourning," he said, "Although I don't know the exact details, from what Gambit told me, one of their own died in a mission that went horribly wrong. Xavier has been taking it very hard."

"One of them is dead?" said Mystique, sounding shocked and very anxious at who it might be, "Do you know who it was?"

"Don't worry Raven…It wasn't one of your children," assured Magneto, knowing that was what she thinking, "It was their leader and Xavier's first student, Scott Summer."

"Cyclops is dead?" said the shape shifter, feeling both relief and shock that after all the things the X-men had fought, one of them had actually died.

"Yes…And it has been quite devastating from what I can ascertain," said Eric, "Not only did he die…He willingly sacrificed himself."

It was a strange revelation to learn that one of the X-men was dead. Mystique knew Scott Summers quite well, after having actually tried to get revenge on him at one point for leaving her at Area 51. Even though when she looked back on it, his actions seemed somewhat more justified…Knowing herself that had she not been left behind, she would have betrayed them anyways. Being the first student and the leader of the X-men was a daunting responsibility, yet she had seen him time and again prove his skill in the midst of conflict. Now that he was dead, it was hard to imagine the kind of shock that was going through the institute…Especially among her children, whom were both good friends with him.

"This is definitely going to impact some of our backup plans Raven…" mused Magneto, "Without their leader, Xavier's X-men are at a fairly great disadvantage. Add to that their grief in losing a loved one…Which I know personally can leave many deep wounds…And I think it's clear that they may not be able to fight with the proper mindset."

"So if push comes to shove, we may not be able to rely on them for help if Sinister regroups," concluded Mystique, "I know he was our trump card if things got too difficult for the Acolytes alone. So I guess that means that we're still on our own with Sinister?"

"It would appear so," said Magneto with a sigh, "You know I wanted to leave Xavier out of this…Sinister is a very personal vendetta that I must take care of with as little help as possible. I helped create what he's trying to accomplish, so it's up to me to stop him."

"And don't forget my steak in this Eric," reminded the shape shifter, "After what you and Sinister did to my son all those years ago…"

Eric never liked being reminded of that. Even though he and Mystique had become better friends since Apocalypse, he still couldn't escape what he had done to young Kurt so long ago. Even though Sinister was a big part of it as well, in the end it was by his hands that those horrible experiments were done on the innocent boy.

"I know Raven…Don't ever think I have forgotten about that," he replied, "But consider the chance to take down Sinister and watch him suffer a gift of repentance on my part."

"If we succeed in the end…I'll remember that," she said, feeling somewhat more embittered at the mention of her son.

Since their team up, Magneto had made it clear that he felt bad about what had happened. He was in another mindset during that time…The same mindset he was in when he threw Wanda away into an insane asylum all those years ago. One of the many effects Apocalypse had on him was bring the full force of his long pent up conscious upon him and it was not easy trying to show his sincerity at first. But after Sinister began to first rear his head, much of the past became irrelevant as he made it clear that not only were his kids in danger, but hers as well.

It was by no means easy at first, but as time went on Mystique had come to see other sides of Magneto that few people ever got a chance to see. She couldn't escape how similar they were in terms of what they had experienced and what they had endured. The darkness that they had given into and the sins they committed against their loved ones were not that different. They had both done much to hurt each other in the years before Apocalypse. Magneto had experimented on her son and Mystique had unleashed his daughter on him. But after Apocalypse, they both sought a fresh start…One that would not be influenced by the past.

"So does this mean Xavier's out for sure?" asked Mystique, remembering the situation at hand.

Magneto thought about this issue for a moment, considering whether or not he should bring this upon his old friend after the loss he had just suffered and after everything that he had done to his students. While he had no doubt that Charles would willingly help fight against a man like Sinister, he didn't know first hand how tough he could be. Xavier's X-men were peacekeepers and students, which was not exactly the best force to throw at somebody as cruel as Mr. Sinister. And if the institute was this paralyzed by one tragedy, then it would be difficult to fathom how hard more would be.

"For now…But maybe I'll fly over and see for myself," he said, "But for the time being, let's assume that he and his team are unfit to take on Sinister in their current state. We can't rely on them anymore as a safety net."

"That's going to be a problem Eric, and you know it," argued the shape shifter, "Just look at what Sinister accomplished while we were fighting him. Even with our interference, he managed to complete the machine and use it successfully on someone."

"I understand that Raven…" said the master of magnetism, still somewhat sore over that issue, "We weren't as successful as I had hoped…That I have come to realize. But we did manage to stop him when it mattered. We just have to be more aggressive in finding him next time. It can't be a mere hit and run like before."

"There's just one problem with that…We have know idea where he is," reminded Mystique, "Sinister may be crazy, but he knows how to cover his trails. I doubt even Xavier and Cerebro could find him with his knack for disappearing."

"Then we'll just have to do it the old fashioned way," said Mystique.

"Since when did we have a choice in the matter?" quipped Eric, somewhat frustrated the difficulty of this conflict with Sinister.

"And what about when we do find him?" asked Mystique, "We've smashed him, burned him, flattened him, poisoned him, and shot him…Yet each time he manages to survive because of that fucked up body of his. Any ideas yet on how we're actually going to kill this bastard?"

Magneto was silent for a moment as he considered Mystique's words. He knew all too well what a die hard Sinister was. No matter how hard they fought or how much they threw at him, he always seemed to come back with a vengeance. There was little doubt that this secret war was going to be prolonged quite extensively from the looks of it. But unlike Sinister, time would have its effects on the both of them while Sinister stayed as vital as ever no matter how long it went on. One piece of this madman in the world was one piece too many, but destroying them all was a challenge in of itself in this great struggle with his once former ally.

"I'm still thinking about that Raven," admitted Eric as the prospects looked increasingly bad in the long run, "But we can't let that worry us now. At this moment, we are the only ones opposing Sinister from wiping out all humans and mutants alike. And if he managed to nearly succeed last time, then I doubt he'll make the same mistake twice."

"So if we could barely do it last time, then how are we going to accomplish it again without Xavier as a viable option?" she questioned, only further adding to the compounded problem that the two mutants faced.

"Like I said Raven, I'm not sure," replied Magneto, noticeably unenthusiastic about their predicament, "But we cannot beat Sinister without some kind of edge on our side. And now that Xavier is out, we must find something else."

"But what?" asked Raven.

Magneto was about to respond to that, when suddenly…A new presence stood in the open doorway to the room. At first they didn't acknowledge it, until a strange bright red glow illuminated the room, capturing their attention.

"Magneto…Mystique…Meet your new edge," said Blake as he made his entire upper body glow the ruby red color of his power.

"Blake…" said Mystique, feeling both surprised and relieved as he saw him standing confidently before them.

"Sinister took everything from me…So now I have a stake in this just as much as you do," said the young man, no longer feeling like the weak, bed stricken comatose boy who had been brought into this lair from the brink of Sinister's grasp, "If you guys are going to work to take him down, then I want to help. I'm willing to learn from you and I'm willing to do anything make sure he doesn't fuck anybody else's life up."

Magneto couldn't help but grin at the young man's determination. The confusion that had gripped him was now replaced with a new sense of purpose that he couldn't help but admire. Sinister may have had most of the advantages against him and his Acolytes, but now they had the one that mattered most.

For Mystique, she couldn't help but smile at his new look of determination. Normally, she wasn't one to give the kind of advice that would pull someone out of a rut instead of putting them into one to begin with. That seemed like only something Xavier would do, but in seeing Blake accomplish the same thing, she couldn't help but feel…Proud that she had done something to help him. Her words actually got through to him. Was this the feeling that Xavier got when he helped his students? Was this the real reason why he did what he did?

For the moment, Mystique pushed those thoughts aside in order to handle the startling new development at hand, for it was their first hint of good luck in this conflict in quite some time.

"I don't blame you for wanting that…" said Magneto with a grin as he stepped forward and offered his hand in a welcoming gesture, "In that case…Welcome to the Acolytes Blake."

The young man eagerly shook his hand, feeling confident that this was the right thing to do. Sinister had taken so much from him and he wanted desperately to get it back. But if he couldn't uncover the mystery of his past…Then the least he could do was make Sinister pay and ensure that nobody else suffers his wrath. And with Mystique and Magneto's help…He felt like this could be a place and a cause where he truly belonged.

"Thank you sir," he replied with a smile, "And in addition…Call me Blaze."

* * *

The nights hadn't gotten any easier for the X-men in the day that followed Scott's funeral. Alex didn't linger after the ceremony, for he found it too hard to be in this place that his brother had called home for so many years. By the end of the day, he was back on a flight to Hawaii, but he ensured Jean that he would call to check up on how she was coping along with the rest of the institute.

However, things hadn't gotten much better for the most part in the mansion after the funeral. Logan, Ororo, Hank, and the Professor had become pretty much 24/7 grief counselors to many of the younger students still trying to come to terms with Scott's death. Among the worst were Bobby and Kurt, who still felt a twinge of guilt for being the last ones to see Scott before he died. For Bobby, he planned to spend some time back with his parents for the weekend, hoping to do something to ease his troubled mind about this horrible ordeal. But Kurt had experienced a little more difficulty with this and it was showing quite clearly to others.

While most of the mansion slept in the late hours of the night, Kitty had pretty much given up trying. To her, death was just so hard to get over…Especially when it was someone who was like a big brother to her and everybody else throughout the mansion. Growing up in such a normal setting, she never had to contend with tragedies like death before. And having it happen like this was just so…Sudden. She knew that their lives were far from normal because of their mutant powers, but that didn't make it any less painful. Mutant or not, Scott was still a friend…And now he was gone forever. It didn't seem fair…It didn't seem right at all for him to have died with so much in his life. He was a leader to the X-men, he was a role model to the students, he had a future ahead of him, and he had a girl that loved him to death…Yet he had still died.

Kitty found herself in the kitchen of the institute, getting a late night drink of water. Sleep had never been this hard for her before and she had no intention of trying tonight. She didn't know what she was going to do, but whatever happened…She just didn't want to sleep and relive the same nightmare over and over again like an instant replay in her mind. As she made her way out of the kitchen and into the darkened living room, she then noticed a presence on the couch. Upon taking a closer look, she saw a blue take hanging down from the side and she quickly surmised who it was.

"Kurt? Is that you?" she said as she made her way over to the couch.

At first she thought he may be asleep, but upon closer inspection she saw that he was wide awake…Staring at the ceiling in a daze.

"Kurt…Are you alright?" she asked as she looked down at him with worry.

"Nein…" he answered simply, "I can't sleep."

"Yeah…Neither can I," said Kitty as she knelt down by his side on the couch.

"Nightmares?" he asked, knowing full well how she would probably respond.

Kitty simply nodded in response with a solemn look on her face. Upon seeing this, Kurt forced himself to sit up and patted the side of the couch next to him. Kitty then took a seat and the two young teens simply sat there in the darkness of the institute.

"Why does it still hurt?" said Kitty as she hugged her knees, "Why can't I stop thinking about it? Everyone…Is still so sad."

"Death is always sad," said Kurt as he scooted in closer to her, "It always hurts…"

"I know…I know," said Kitty with a sigh, "It's just that…Saying goodbye…Only made me think more about how Scott's gone and never coming back. I mean…He was like a big brother to us all."

"Ja…I know he vas," said Kurt, "Ve may not have always agreed on everything, but ve never let the little things get in the vay."

"So why does it still hurt so much? Why do I still feel so bad about this?" pondered Kitty.

Kurt could offer her no simple answers, for he had been asking the same thing himself over and over again for hours. It was part of the reason why he was down here wide awake, unable to sleep one wink.

"I vish I could give you the answers you deserve Kitty…But I'm at just as much a loss as you are right now," he admitted.

Kitty felt her eyes moisten up once more as she leaned into Kurt's warm, fuzzy body. He responded by gently wrapping an arm around her and hugging her close. The comfort they offered each other was a welcome sensation after feeling so cold and numb from everything that had happened. Neither of them wanted to let go out of fear of feeling the deep sorrow all alone once again.

"It's just that…" choked Kitty as she struggled to get the words out, "It's not just that he's gone…It's also all the things the Professor showed us about his life. All those images of loss, sadness, and pain…I can't imagine what it must have been like. And yet, we teased him for the way he was…For being so uptight. But now…I know why he was that way. I know why he felt the need to be overprotective…"

"And now you feel guilty for teasing him about it…" finished Kurt, knowing all too well what she was getting at, "You feel…Like a truly awful person for mocking a trait of him that came out of such horrible abuse. You feel…Like if you hadn't been so arrogant, maybe he could have been happier and things could have been easier for all of us. And the worst part is…You never even got a chance to say that you were sorry."

Kurt had pretty much summed up what Kitty was too choked up to finish. He hugged her tighter as she started weeping once again. It was very hard for Kurt to hear someone he really cared about in so much pain. Kitty was more than a friend to him…She was a beacon of hope for his otherwise cloistered life…Forever trapped in his demonic body. Seeing her like this was hard enough when he was still dealing with many of the same issues as her, but that only prompted them both to lend each other their support in this very dark time…Not just for them, but for everybody.

"He shouldn't have had to make that sacrifice…" mused Kurt, "He shouldn't have had to die."

Kurt fought another wave of sobs as he continued to sink into the embrace. He could have faced a hundred lynching and a hundred insults from mutant hating protesters…Yet they could never hurt him in the same way he had been hurt by this horrible tragedy. Kitty could see this conflict written on the young man's weary face. It hurt to see, but it only proved how hard it was for the both of them.

"I know…Do you think it will ever stop hurting?" asked Kitty as she sunk into the couch together.

"I don't know Kitty," said Kurt, at a loss for any further words, "I really don't know."

There were still many things they had not gotten over and it was clear now that the mansion would never be the same. But for Kurt and Kitty, at least they had something to hold onto...Each other.

* * *

Upstairs in the darkened room of Jean Grey, she was stuck in a state drifting in an out of dreaming and consciousness. Since the funeral, she had stayed cloistered in her room in a state of great sorrow. Both Ororo and Logan had tried to get her to talk, but she stayed quiet…Not ready to do so just yet. But at least she ate now…Even if it wasn't much. In the day after Scott's funeral, it still hurt. No matter how hard she tried, the young woman just couldn't escape this great feeling of sorrow and cold isolation.

Others tried to help her. The Professor suggested she spend some time at home with her parents, but she didn't like that idea very much. Ororo had suggested that she try taking a walk with her outside just to get some fresh air into her head, but she had no desire to leave her room at this point. Some students had already pestered her about Scott and his past after having learned from the Professor just how truly bad it was and she didn't want to have to relive that. Twice already, such questions had prompted a violent outburst from Logan, which only further strengthened her resolve to stay in her room where she wouldn't have to see all the sad expressions and sense all the sad thoughts.

But even in her sleep, all was not peaceful. Her tied body needed rest, but her mind wouldn't let it be so easy as she kept tossing and turning. In her mind, there were many of Scott's horrible memories still floating around…But the one that hurt the most was the last memory she had of him. It was the memory of the feelings she experienced as he died in her head. It may have happened a few days ago, but it felt as if it were just mere moments ago. No matter what she did, she couldn't get rid of the pain. And no matter what she did, the nightmare wouldn't cease haunting her mind.

_Outside the burning building Jean could sense Scott still in fiery contents. In her mind, she could sense his panic and life force beginning to falter. She looked around, desperate for any help…But for some reason, nobody else was there. She knew the building was about to explode, but no matter how hard she tried…She couldn't get any closer. She tried using her powers, but for some reason…They were useless. She tried to run, but a cold, paralyzing wind had blown her back and created a seemingly unbreakable barrier that she tried to fight, but just could not get through._

"_Scott!" she yelled desperately, "Scott please! Get out of there! The building will explode! Please Scott!"_

_Her cries were only prompted by a final 'I love you' through her link as she kept trying to get closer so at least she could die with him…But something kept pushing her back. It was a force she could not see or sense, but it was keeping her from changing that which she already knew was going to happen. _

_It was like the cruelest of punishments, seeing it happen again and feeling all the pain and sorrow that came along with it. Tears were streaming down her eyes as she kept screaming out for Scott both physically and through their link, but to no avail. _

"_No…" she whimpered, knowing what was coming next, "Not again…Please not again."_

_Then suddenly, she felt a painful sensation surge through her mind. Then, she saw a strange image flash before her eyes that she had not seen when it happened. It was strange and unclear, but she could make a few very faint images. They were of Scott…And being hit by some strange force from behind…One that didn't feel like an explosion and more like a shock. It was truly painful, but that wasn't it. As the pain surged through their link…She thought she saw a dark figure standing over Scott's body with a sinister grin on his face. Then…The explosion came._

"Scott!" she yelled as she shot up in her bed with a cold sweat drenching her body.

Jean started hyperventilating…Unable to catch her breath as the tears streamed down her eyes. This nightmare had been many times more vivid than previous dreams, but it had been just as painful. Some of the images were still fuzzy, that didn't make it any easier to experience.

Jean then proceeded to reach over to her dresser off to the side of her bed and firmly grasp the ruby quartz glasses…The last tangible piece of Scott she had left. The young redhead tightly hugged her knees as she took in the sensation that the glasses brought in her hands. It wasn't much, but it was still something to hold on to. She didn't have the strength to fight her tears this time as she began weeping in the silence of the night, the images of the nightmare playing over and over again in her head.

'Why?' she thought to herself, 'Why does it still hurt so much? I know he's dead…I know he's gone. But why does it have to be so painful? Why does it have to feel so…Incomplete?'

No answers came…But that didn't matter. None of them would bring Scott back or give her the chance to say goodbye to him. Her heart was truly in pieces now…And she didn't know if they would ever be whole again. Gripping the glasses, she kept searching again through their empty link…Trying to find her soul mate or at least some part of him. She had stood before his grave…Watched everybody say goodbye to him…Yet still, she searched. Something inside her would not allow her to give up. Even thought there was still nothing but emptiness, she kept on searching…As if she would eventually find him when every logical part of her mind was telling her that it was impossible. But even if it was…She kept searching.

* * *

AN: So what do you think? Are things complicated enough now for you? Scott is now Blake in his mind and Magneto and Mystique still don't have a clue what they truly have before them. And it's not getting any easier at the mansion, that's for sure! And don't worry, there's still plenty to come with this story! So what do you all think so far? I would love to know! Please send me your feedback via email or post your reviews on the fanfiction website! Thank you all very much for reading and I wish everybody the best!

HEY WAIT! DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING!


	10. Rebuilding What Was Lost

**Between Life and Death  
Chapter 10: Rebuilding What Was Lost**

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Hey! Man this fic has been getting some great reviews! I hope you all keep them coming! Now, a quick word to those very kind folks who took the time to review!

**Simba317: **I'm glad you like my updates because I always love your reviews! The last chapter just went to show how messed up things have gotten. Magneto and Mystique have no idea what they've got and thanks to Scott/Blake's changed appearance, they can't recognize who it is. Irony is a big part of this story, both for the X-men and the Acolytes. And there's plenty more interaction with them as things evolve from this point and Sinister regroups. That guy really doesn't ever stop, so it definitely won't be easy! I'm glad you liked the Kurtty. I've always thought they look cute together and I'll have more parts with them later on and I hope you like what I have planned! Thanks as always for the awesome review! I hope you continue to read and enjoy my story! Peace out!  
**GothikStrawberry: **Yeah, I like to show Mystique's more complicated side and given the situation, it's kind of hard not for it to have an impact on her. And if you like Magneto and Mystique's interaction, I think you'll like how they continue to show just how much they've changed compared to their pre-Apocalypse days. Glad you like the Kurtty and there's still plenty to come with Jean! Thanks a ton for the review! Enjoy!  
**Jenskott: **Thanks for the double review my friends! I'm glad you like the unique concept I've taken with this story. Trust me, it's going to evolve with what's going on with Jean, Scott/Blake, and Magneto and Mystique. I hope you continue to like it!  
**Howlerdrode: **Jean's visions are proof enough just how strong their link is. However, for the time being it's hard to know just what it is she's sensing given the nature of what she knows and everybody else has long accepted.Magneto and Mystique have no idea what they have, but it's sure to play a part with Sinister! I'm glad you like where I'm taking this and I hope you continue to enjoy my story! Thanks for the review!  
**Agent-G: **Yeah, I can see how you would think that image with Scott's new powers. As for the link, it's the only thing that has survived thus far, but its role won't truly come into play until a little later! There's still plenty to come and I hope you continue to read and enjoy it my friend! Thanks a ton for your kind feedback thus far and stay cool man!  
**Strayphoenix: **Glad to see you not grounded anymore! And thanks a bunch for your comments on my attention to detail. It takes a lot of hard work and effort to manage and it means a lot to me that you acknowledge it. Thanks a ton for the review and I hope you continue to enjoy my story!  
**Doza: **Don't worry, I'll be addressing Scott/Blake's new powers soon enough. They are different, but they still have some similarities. He's not quite omega level, but he's definitely beyond alpha. There's plenty more to come with him, so I hope you like it!  
**Tim Digidestined of Loyalty: **Its okay you were busy, believe me I understand. I'm glad you like how I've gone about this story. As for your questions, part of Scott/Blake's enhancements include control, otherwise Sinister wouldn't have risked it. And remember, it skewed his DNA so it wouldn't match his old readings. As far as Magneto and Mystique know, they have a total stranger on their hands. Trust me, it's going to get more complicated! Thanks a ton for the review my friend! I hope you continue to read and enjoy my stories!  
**Sentoris: **Man, that's a lot of studying my friend! But I've been there, so I know how you feel. With Scott/Blake up, he'll have a lot to relearn, including his powers. I have plenty more to reveal about it and I hope you continue to read and enjoy my story! I hope you continue to read and enjoy this fic! Thanks a lot for all your support!  
**Heartsyhawk: **I too am enjoying writing Magneto and Mystique's softer side. It's an interesting perspective to take and I will continue to explore it. Also, I am honored that I have been able to get you to see Jean in a new light since she is such a vital part to this story. She'll play a major role, trust me on that! It's a great honor that I've been able to garner so much praise from you so far with this story and I hope you continue to read and enjoy this story as it unfolds. Thanks a ton my friend! You rock! Peace out!

Also, a special thanks to: **Sprocket, Rogue14, Diaz, Wen1, X00001, Mark C, Ldypebsaby, Jott Luuuver, Rndommarvelfan.**

**Also, I have a fic that I'm co-authoring with Agent-G called "Hellfire and Brimstone." It's got Jott, Romy, Wandurt, Kiotr, Loro, and plenty more! Please read and review it! Also, I have another ongoing fic on the adultfanfiction website, so if you want to, go to my profile and check that out as well! And don't forget to review!**

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In the weeks that followed Blake's arrival into the Acolytes, Mystique and Magneto took him directly under their wing and began showing him the ins and outs of being a mutant and partaking in a secret war. And even though he was a new, unexpected recruit, he learned very quickly, most likely thanks to his enhancements. Working with Magneto, he learned that he could tap pretty much any kind of energy dense enough and metabolize it in his body so that he could use it as a deadly projected beam, make powerful shields, or increase his strength and muscles to an enormous level. Whatever energy he tapped, it was his to do with as he pleased. At first he could only tap to a certain extent, but as he grew more confident he could control energy many times greater. And thanks to his unique genetic makeup, he had the perfect balance of power and control…When he was in the right mindset at least. He still tried to remember his past and that always seemed to dampen his concentration no matter how advanced his blood was.

In addition to learning control from Magneto, Mystique had used the opportunity to teach him some of her vast knowledge in the skills of hand to hand combat. And just like he was with Magneto, he learned very quickly. His reflexes were fast, his muscles were strong, and his body was fit…Perfect for learning the arts of fighting. Unlike most of the others she worked with, Blake had shown a great willingness to learn all he could from the shape shifter. While he never directly said it, much of the reason had to do with what happened when he inevitably faced Sinister with the Acolytes once more. Like it or not, Sinister was the one who took his memories away from him and he was probably the only one who could give them back.

While Blake grew quite fond of Mystique and Magneto under their tutelage, he also became friends with many of the other Acolytes as well. Both Gambit and Colossus took to him quite well and even Pyro seemed to enjoy his company when he wasn't playing with lighters and burning things. Gambit had taken the time to teach Blake the arts of poker and other card games while Colossus helped teach him which of the techniques Gambit taught him were cheating. It was a rather humorous exchange at times, but Blake got the hang of it eventually. The only person he couldn't seem to connect with was Sabretooth. Every time he tried to talk to him, the angry, animalistic mutant would just comment on how he didn't like his smell for some reason. But despite this, Blake was assured that Sabretooth was always like that and wasn't exactly a 'people person.' He was only in this for the money.

When Mystique and Magneto weren't training Blake, they were keeping tabs on the world outside for any signs of Mr. Sinister and his activities. Ever since the attack on his facility, he had pretty much disappeared from all sight…Which was proof enough to Magneto, who knew him best, that he was up to something. But so far, he had no clues as to where Sinister was and all he could do was remain eternally vigilant in case he struck again. Mystique made frequent check ups on the Brotherhood as well, returning to the house for a day or so every now and then to ensure that they didn't destroy her house again and that they were attending school like they should. And if necessary, punish them for breaking any of the rules she had laid out. Knowing the Brotherhood, anything was possible. The Maximoff twins were still unruly towards her for working with their estranged father and Todd, Lance, and Freddy would act up every now and then at school when someone made a snide comment about them or mutants. It was a hard order for Mystique to impose while working two big jobs, one as housemother to a bunch of misfit mutants and the other as a soldier in the war against Sinister. However, she could make no complaints, because like it or not the Brotherhood was her responsibility and in the end it was up to her to make sure that they didn't get into any trouble.

* * *

It was in the late afternoon hours at the Acolyte's lair as Blake, Colossus, and Gambit played another round of poker. Pyro had been in the group as well for a while, but he ended up throwing a tantrum after losing to a pair of Queens and quit after only a few games. But that didn't stop the others from enjoying the game as Blake listened in on some of the stories that each fellow comrade had to tell.

"So then what happened?" asked Blake as he divided his attention between his cards and the story Gambit was telling him about what had happened around a year ago between him and a girl from the X-men named Rogue.

"Well after she touched Gambit, she pretty much tried to run off," said the Cajun mutant as he went over the story he had gone over in his head many times before, "So I was gonna have to get mon perè out myself against dozens of armed cold blooded killers. Trust me, it ain't as easy as it sounds, but it's just another day in the life of a Cajun thief."

"How did you succeed?" asked Blake as he took two cards and read his hand, contemplating his next move.

"Here it comes…" mumbled Colossus, having heard Gambit tell him this story many times before as he folded his hand.

"It wasn't easy mind you homme," said Gambit as he took two cards from the deck and prepared his next move while telling the part of the story he remembered most clearly, "But in de end…Rogue saw through dis Cajun's rugged outer appearance and came in to help save Gambit's perè. While she was plenty mad at me, I had a feeling she'd see de truth."

"What made you think that?" asked Blake.

"It's simple homme…Dat girl and I have been down de same roads in life," he said, sounding somewhat fond of those words and the memory it invoked, "I knew she had it in her…And she proved Remy right. She helped save mon perè even though Gambit was supposed to be an enemy…But she did it, and for dat, Gambit gave her his queen of hearts as a token of his thanks."

It seemed like a rather odd story that Gambit had overly romanticized to some extent, but Blake could find no reason not to believe that it hadn't happened. Besides, if it was a lie, Colossus would have said something by now and he had heard the story in the same exact way more times than he could count. For some reason, Gambit just loved telling that story. But even Blake, who was still fairly new, technically that is, even he could see that part of it had to do with this girl, Rogue…Who he always described in such vivid detail.

"You gave her a queen of hearts? Very symbolic Remy…But very subjective at the same time," said Blake as he shook his head in amazement at Remy's story.

"Its de truth homme," said Remy with confidence, "Dere are no lies in de story. It all happened dat way."

"Most of it at least…" quipped Colossus, earning him a rather dirty look from the Cajun.

"I'm sure it did…" said Blake as he turned his attention back to his cards, "So what do you got?"

"Three of a kind," said Gambit with a grin as he showed his cards to Blake.

"Damn…Two pairs," mumbled Blake as Gambit continued on his so called 'winning streak.'

"Looks like Gambit wins again," said the Cajun mutant as he gathered the cards and skillfully shuffled them for another round.

While he was doing that, Blake couldn't help but be curious about one more thing from Gambit's story. In it, this Rogue girl seemed to play a very big part…Not just in the story, that much was obvious, but for him as well. It was curious to Blake as to the way he talked about her and the way he described her. He didn't think he had any experience in such a matter, but for some reason it felt clear to him…But he pushed that aside, not thinking it was important as he felt the need to ask him one more thing about his story.

"So what happened to the girl?" asked Blake as Gambit continued to shuffle the cards.

"Well…" said the Cajun as he sat back in his chair, recalling once again the memory he had become so fond of, "She went back to de X-men with her family to my knowledge. Later on, she played a big role in stopping Apocalypse and pretty much stayed at de institute for one more year of high school. But I know her…I doubt she's gonna leave dat place anytime soon."

There was a hint of disappointment in the Cajun thief's tone as he said those words and Blake quickly picked up on it and couldn't help but laugh somewhat.

"You must really like her…" grinned Blake, provoking a reaction from Colossus.

"See Gambit…He heard the story only once and yet even he sees it," said the Russian born mutant, feeling vindicated in what he had long argued with Gambit over.

"Don't start dis homme…" groaned Gambit, not wanting to get into the same argument with Colossus all over again, "You know Remy don't like talkin' about it."

"Then we won't…" said Blake, stepping in and stopping the conflict before it grew, "But just answer me one last question Gambit…One that DOESN'T have to do with Rogue."

"Shoot…" said Remy, sounding somewhat relieved as he dealt the cards for another game.

"If you're still a thief, then why did you come back with Magneto after Apocalypse?" he asked as he got his cards and began to contemplate his next moves.

"For de same reason Colossus and de rest of us are…Incentive," answered Gambit as he took a look at the hand he got and inwardly grinned.

"What kind of incentive?" asked Blake, "For some reason…I get the feeling that it's more than just money."

Gambit stood mildly amazed at Blake's perception, but never the less gave him an answer since Colossus had already told him why he was here.

"Well dere is money involved," said Gambit, "But dere's more as well. Once dis war with Sinister is over, Gambit will have everything he needs and then some to pay off de debts he owes so dat I can leave New Orleans for good and start fresh. Bein' a thief has its perks, but sometimes…You find other things in life worth experiencing and I wanna have dat opportunity and freedom."

"Right…And I guarantee you the first thing he'll do with that freedom is try to get with that girl again," laughed Colossus.

"Hey…It ain't out of de realm of possibility homme," argued the Cajun, "Rogue already took and accepted Gambit's queen of hearts…Dat alone says it all."

"Yes…I'm sure it does comrade," replied Colossus, still not believing him and his strange logic.

Blake just laughed again as he took three cards this time and looked at the hand he had been dealt.

"Well I guess we'll both just have to wait and see what happens when the war is over now won't we?" said Blake, "Maybe then we'll know for sure if Gambit's logic is twisted…Or true."

"Thanks for de vote of confidence Blaze," said Gambit as he once again took two cards, "What about you homme? What are you gonna do when dis war is over?"

Blake took a moment to think about that. It was a sobering feeling, knowing that he was still unsure even if he would find his memories again after beating Sinister. For the most part, he had just been living day to day since he had woken up from his coma. He never really thought about the future. If he got his memories back, would he return to where he had come from? Or even if he knew, would he rather stay with Magneto and Mystique after they had done so much to help him? In times of uncertainty, he found it easier to remain distracted from the questions that he could not answer. However, eventually he would have to face them…If they could be Sinister that is.

"I don't know Gambit…I really don't," he admitted, "Having total amnesia is like a nightmare that you can't wake up from. Sometimes you feel as though you're at that point where you're going to just wake up in your bed, forget the dream, and get on with your life. But for me…Every time I think I'm at that point, everything still goes on. Who knows…Maybe this is all a dream in my head or maybe what I'm seeing is just something my mind is making real. But amnesia does crazy things to you…That much I know."

"But what if you get your memories back?" asked Colossus, also curious as to what this young man with so much potential would do if this war were to end in their favor.

"That's another matter in of itself Peter," said Blake, "From what I've already been told about my past…There really isn't much to go back to. And if I can't see any reason to return to such a life, then I guess I'll have to think of something else. Who knows…I may stay with Magneto and Mystique a little while longer. After all…They were the ones that saved me. I just hope that if I do remember…I won't want to forget it again."

"Well dat sure is a pessimistic outlook on things," said Gambit with a light chuckle, "But what if dere is something to go back to? It may not be much, but what if dere was still something out dere dat kept you goin before Sinister nabbed you? Who knows…Maybe you've got a girl out there whose worried sick about you and thinks your dead or something. Wouldn't that be enough?"

Blake was about to respond to this seemingly hypothetical question, but for some reason that he didn't quite understand…He froze at the notion. The file that Mystique had given him about his life had stipulated that he had no family, but it never said anything about a girl or any other friends out there. And if his life was so horrible before he lost his memories…Then what was keeping him alive in the first place? A strange feeling of uncertainty came over him…Almost as if someone had run a small shock through his system. As quick as his mind was, even he couldn't fully comprehend the notion of what effect something like what Gambit described would have on his decisions in the end.

As Colossus took his two cards, he and Gambit both noticed Blake looking as though he was in some kind of daze. Gambit hadn't expected his question to have that kind of an effect on him, but never the less…Something was causing him to think.

"Hey…You still with us over dere homme?" asked Gambit, waving his hands in front of his face.

Then, Blake managed to snap back to reality and shook his head clean of whatever it was that was confusing him.

"Yeah…Sorry, I guess I just spaced," he assured as he placed his cards on the table, "I fold."

"You sure you're okay comrade?" asked Colossus, sounding concerned after seeing the expression on the young man's face.

Blake responded by rubbing the temples of his head and forcing himself to collect his thoughts once more.

"Yeah I guess…I just got stuck in another one of those moments where I thought I was going to wake up…But I guess I didn't," he replied.

Satisfied with the response, Gambit showed his winning hand again and gathered the cards for another round. But in looking back at the young man's face, he could tell that he was still thinking about his earlier question.

"Well be sure to stay with us in de real world here homme," said Gambit, "We don't wanna lose our extra poker buddy."

"Don't worry Gambit…For the time being, it doesn't seem like you will," said Blake despite his uncertainty.

"And besides…Even if you didn't have a girl out dere waiting for you, I'm sure with your looks you'd be able to pick up any femme you wanted," grinned Gambit as he dealt the cards once again.

"Yes…As long as you stayed away from Rogue," joked Colossus, provoking another snide look from Gambit that only made the two other men laugh.

* * *

While the three men continued their game and Pyro remained on the couch, glued to the TV, Magneto was in the main monitoring room going over the readings of the day. Sinister was still proving elusive, but he would have to show himself sooner or later. The man may have been mad, but he was definitely not one to walk away from a fight or a conflict that he took so personally. Add to that, he still had Blake so if he wanted the fruits of his labor he would have to come through him in order to get it back.

For the most part, things had been relatively quiet for the last few weeks. Mystique was still out on her usual fact finding missions and Magneto remained glued to computer screens. Part of him actually welcomed this inactivity which seemed somewhat of a nice change compared to the intensive combat and tension wrought by close battle and tracking of Sinister. But the madman was still out there…That much was already too discomforting. While working with Blake had provided a nice distraction in many ways, Sinister's dark intentions were still prevalent in his mind and his worries over no longer having Xavier as emergency backup was not sitting well with him.

Last week he had sent Mystique there to see just how bad the death of Cyclops had been to the rest of the students there and from what she reported, it was just as bad as he had feared. Every one of the X-men was still in a state of mourning over their fallen friend and Xavier in particular was taking it hard. While on a lighter note, Mystique had said that they seemed to be getting back into their routine after a few weeks, they didn't look like they would be able to stay focused against Sinister.

And while she had not said it directly, she used this opportunity to check up on her kids as she so often had done after Apocalypse. But every time, she was very careful not to let them or anybody else see her. Having rejected her back in Egypt, she had no desire to see the look of scrutiny on their face and hear their angry cries towards her for using them. But this didn't stop her from wanting to see them and in looking at the sad expression on their faces from the loss they had suffered, she loathed the fact that she could do nothing to alleviate their pain.

Mystique was still out as Magneto let out a deep sigh and stretched his tired limbs. He knew his body was in need of sleep, but his mind just wouldn't stop working. Part of him just wanted to collapse before the computer screen, but there were just too many things to do and there was so little time to rest. Never the less, a break definitely did sound good, but as he got up from his seat, Mystique suddenly made her appearance in the doorway, not looking too thrilled judging by the look on her face.

"Raven?" the master of magnetism asked, curious as to her sudden appearance, "What are you doing back so soon? Did you find something?"

Mystique let out a deep sigh, hinting that she was just as tired as Magneto, but she tried not to let it show as she reported to him what she now knew.

"For the most part…I didn't find anything," she said in a rather pessimistic tone, "But in the end…I didn't have to. Something found me."

In her hand, the shape shifter had a crumpled up piece of paper. She handed it to Magneto, letting him see for herself just what she meant by her words. As the master of magnetism took it, he saw an all too familiar handwritten message and soon found himself reading it aloud.

"To my most pestilent enemies…" he read, "You have taken something of mine that I have worked a lifetime to attain. You have it…And I want it back. You have no idea what you possess and could never appreciate the true potential of the power my creation has. If you don't give back what you have taken from me…Then I shall take from you and your shape shifting bitch something far more valuable. You know you can't stop me…I've already shown that. You are still mortal…I am immortal. You're only delaying the inevitable. We once worked together…Now I will personally make sure that you suffer the most for your insolence. Kind regards…An old friend."

Crumpling up the paper in his hand, Magneto felt a new twinge of urgency. Sinister was back and ready to fight a lot sooner than he had hoped. It hadn't even been a month yet, but now he was back in full form once again. Part of him thought that maybe Sinister was bluffing, but he knew the man too well and he knew that he never made threats that he wasn't capable of carrying out.

"Now what do we do?" said Mystique, not liking the prospects any better than her friend.

"I'm not sure yet," said Magneto in all honesty as he contemplated how they were going to handle this new development, "How did you get this?"

"That's just it," answered Raven, "I'm not sure. I turn my back for one moment and suddenly, there's some unmarked card on my motorcycle. I tried to scour the area, looking for any hints of who it could be…But I found nothing."

"Damn it…Did you inform the others?" he asked.

"Of course not," she responded, "I know better than that, but I think Blake deserves to know. It's clear that he's the one they're after."

"I know…And we will tell him," said Eric, "But the part about Sinister wanting to take something just as valuable from us is most disconcerting to me. You know as well as I do that there is only one real thing of value that we possess in this world…And unfortunately Sinister knows it as well."

"I know…Our kids," she said, not liking it any more than Magneto, "So what do we do about it? Should we tell Xavier? And what about the Brotherhood?"

"I don't know yet…We'll think of something, but for now…"

Suddenly, he was cut off by a new presence standing in the doorway. It was Blake and apparently, he had seen the disturbed look on Mystique's face. Since he had arrived, he had shown a genuine concern for the two people that had saved him from Sinister. He took to their fight and learned from them quite well given his circumstances. And ever since they had told him about the man that had taken away his memories and his life, he could safely say that he was yearning for some payback.

"What's going on?" he asked, sensing the urgency in the room, "Has something come up?"

"Unfortunately it has Blake," said Magneto as he took the letter and showed it to the young man that Sinister had done so much to hurt, "See for yourself."

Blake quickly read over the letter and it didn't take too long for him to process.

"He's back…" said the young man, feeling a sense of anger surge through him.

"Indeed he is…And just as we suspected, he wants you back," said Mystique.

"Why am I not surprised?" scoffed Blake as he crumpled up the paper and threw it off to the side, "Do you know where he is?"

"Not this time around I'm afraid," answered Magneto as he shook his head, "We got lucky last time when we found you. Sinister got too careless and it cost him. Now, I doubt he'll make the same mistake twice."

"In addition…He's also threatened our kids just as we had feared," added Mystique, "I know this madman…He'll try ANYTHING to get what he wants."

"Then we'll stop him before he gets that far!" said Blake, now feeling more determined than ever to get the answers he so desperately wanted after everything Sinister had taken away from him.

"That's easier said than done Blake," said Magneto, "If we don't find him soon…He'll find us. And until then, my kids are very vulnerable along with the rest of the Brotherhood."

"And so are mine," said Mystique, not wanting him to forget about Kurt and Rogue.

"But they still have one advantage," argued Magneto, "They are still with Xavier. And I doubt that Sinister wants to bring him into this conflict and face two powerful enemies instead of one."

"Don't rule anything out Eric…You do know Sinister isn't exactly a poster boy for sound mental health," quipped Mystique.

"True…But he's also not stupid," replied Magneto, "He'll use what is most vulnerable and he'll let nothing stand in his way…"

"Then we'll just have to protect them," said Blake, "And since I want Sinister to find me…I'll do it. I'll watch over the Brotherhood."

The two older mutants looked back at the young man with mild amazement at his assertiveness. He had only known them for about a month and already he was willing to put his life on the line to protect the only valuable thing they had left in this world. In addition, he had just as big a steak in this as they did, for Sinister had already taken a lot from him. For all he knew, there was nothing left worth living for other than making Sinister pay and ensure that nobody else suffered from his madness.

"With your permission…" he went on, "I will ensure that no pasty faced psycho will lay a finger on Wanda and Pietro. I'll throw a nuclear bomb at him if I have to, but I owe both you and Raven for saving my life from a fate worse than death. Consider this my way of returning the favor."

Both Magneto and Mystique looked back at each other, contemplating whether or not they should let him do what he was promising. There were still many factors that they did not know about and Blake was still Sinister's main target now since his body contained all the information he needed to perfect his device. But from the looks of it, he didn't look like he was going to allow anything to keep him from carrying out what he had just promised. It was strange for Magneto and Mystique, for they had befriended this young man in a way that they had not done with the rest of the Acolytes and because of that, he was now just as loyal if not more so than anybody else on the team. Perhaps it was because they handled him in a way Xavier might have handled him…Or perhaps it was the promise of going up against Sinister again. Either way, it was clear that he wasn't about to back down from this, wanting desperately to thank those who had kept Sinister from controlling him and all the power he wielded.

"Blake…Are you sure you want to do that?" warned Magneto, "Keep in mind, you are still Sinister's main target. You may simply draw them to you…"

"That won't stop Sinister from trying to pay you back for taking me in the first place," reminded Blake, using the powerful logic in his mind to argue his case, "You can send anybody else to protect your kids…But it may not be enough. Let me do it…And he'll have to face the power of his own creation to even get near them. He can't destroy me…He needs me. And if you want to pay him back for all the trouble he's caused you, what better way than to use his own creation against him?"

Magneto thought about that…Still uncertain just how he should handle this situation. He didn't want to put Wanda and Pietro in danger. They hated him enough as it is and he didn't want to give them any more reason to by bringing them into this conflict. He had vowed that if he ever defeated Sinister, he would do everything he could to win them back. But defeating this madman was far more difficult than even he could have imagined. He was like a mini version of Apocalypse, but many times more annoying.

Mystique, who knew that she couldn't be there for the Brotherhood all the time, thought it was a good idea, but had a bad feeling that this would only bring things to ahead a lot faster than they would have liked. Last time, they had the capacity to plan an attack to stop Sinister. Now that the madman had shown that he had the resources to do what he had so frequently boasted, that would leave far less time for them to contemplate their moves against him…And greatly decreased their chances of taking him down for good.

Finally, as Magneto felt the stress of this grave development bearing down on him all the more harshly, he made his decision.

"I wish there was an easier way to do this…But things with Sinister are never easy," he sighed as he turned back towards the young man, "I never wanted to bring my kids into this conflict…I never wanted Sinister to use them as his trump card. They may hate me, but I still want to protect them. And if you wish to do so…Then all I can say is thank you…And good luck."

"I owe you one sir…" said Blake, glad that Magneto had accepted his offer, "And I promise…I won't let you down."

"So I guess that means I should set you up there," said Raven, "The less time we waste with the logistics, the better."

"Agreed…" said Eric, "Take Blake over to the boarding house and introduce him. Wanda may be easier to deal with because she listens to you, but I have a gut feeling that Pietro won't like the idea of having a body guard."

"Yeah…That could be a problem," said Mystique, knowing all too well the extent of Pietro's arrogance.

"Well let me worry about that," said Blake as he stepped in, "You two took me in and I trust you now because you gave me the chance. It may not be immediate, but if you just let me try…I think I can earn the trust of the Brotherhood in the same way you both earned my trust."

"Don't get too cocky Blake," said Mystique, speaking from experience, "One thing that has always set the Brotherhood apart from the X-men is their stubborn nature. It's taken me quite some time to get them to even remotely trust me…And even now, they still don't think too highly of me."

"Stubborn people require stubborn commitment," reasoned Blake, "Even if they don't trust me, they'll still need protection from Sinister. And if it's a challenge…So be it. Besides…What else do I have to lose?"

Magneto managed to smile somewhat at the young man's comment. Since his arrival, the effects of Sinister's memory wipe had shown on his psyche. It was still somewhat surprising that he would want to take on something this serious so quickly given danger of Sinister and the innate difficulty that the Brotherhood always presented. But in times of war and darkness, choices were few and far between. And when it came to protecting his children, he was not willing to take great risks.

"Well then Blake…I guess I have nothing left to tell you other than good luck," said Magneto, "If you do your part, I'll be sure to do mine and find Sinister before that madman can make his move. Just do one more thing for me while you're looking after Wanda and Pietro."

"Sure…What is it?" asked Blake.

"Let them know that I'm sorry…And I'm doing this because I only want what's best for them."

"I'll tell them…You have my word," said Blake as he and Mystique left the room and prepared to depart for the Brotherhood boarding house.

Mystique and Blake left the hidden Acolyte lair in a simple, inconspicuous car that Magneto had in store for others to use while not drawing suspicion. Mystique had used this car many times before in her scouting missions to find info on Sinister, but more often preferred the motorcycle. However, given the recent developments, there wasn't much of a choice involved this time around.

* * *

The drive to the Brotherhood house wasn't very long. Magneto had purposefully kept the lair within a reachable distance so he could be near his kids just in case they faced any danger. Mystique was still weary about the sudden development with Sinister. She had a gut feeling that if he made his move soon, there would be no other way to stop him other than by killing him…And he was nearly immortal. However, Blake didn't seem too concerned despite the challenge ahead of him. Protecting them against Sinister while also trying to gain their trust would not be easy to say the least, but if he was that determined to do it…She could only hope that he was not getting into more than he could handle.

"I must warn you Blake…The Brotherhood are not pushovers," said Mystique as she drove down the road leading off the highway and onto the smaller, less crowded roads where the boarding house resided, "They can be quite a handful at times."

"I know it won't be easy, don't think I haven't thought about that Raven," assured Blake, "But if I'm going do my duty, I'll have to work with them no matter how unruly they are."

Mystique couldn't help but laugh and shake her head, for she truly didn't know what was driving this young man to do something like this. If they had picked him up over a year ago, she doubted that they would have been able to earn his trust and his friendship like they had. And in this way, he proved to be more willing to take on challenges that she knew the rest of the Acolyte's probably wouldn't have touched with a hundred foot pole.

"Just don't expect too much at first," she warned, "I honestly don't know why you're this dedicated, but I guess we don't have the right, not to mention the capability, to stop you."

"Well to be fair…I don't exactly know why I'm doing this either Raven," answered the young man cryptically.

"What do you mean?" asked the shape shifter, not knowing what he was implying but such words.

Blake was silent for a moment as he attempted to explain what it was that even he couldn't completely fathom just yet.

"I'm not sure, but…Have you ever had the feeling that there are things about yourself that you know are true, but aren't sure why they're there?" he articulated, trying to find the right words.

"In some ways…I guess," replied Raven, thinking about how that related to her attitude both before and after Apocalypse.

"Well try to throw amnesia into that mix…" continued the young man, "Try to imagine feeling things about yourself that you have, yet not remember where the hell they came from in the first place. Try to imagine having feelings that you don't understand while at the same time being unable to escape them. I don't know if it has to do with who I was before Sinister captured me…But I'm determined to find out."

"Well don't worry…If all this ends and you still haven't got your memories back, I'm sure Eric and I will find some way of restoring them. He gave his word and I gave mine, but like I said…Learn to expect the unexpected in this line of work. Mutants are still highly feared by humans, but there are just some battles that they cannot fight whether they like it or not. And even if they knew about this war, I doubt they would hold a parade in our honor if we succeed."

"I couldn't care less if they did," replied Blake, "There are more important things at the moment for me that take precedence over gratitude…The Brotherhood being one of them."

As they neared the boarding house, Blake mentally prepared himself for handling more new surroundings. He had adapted well under Magneto and the Acolytes, but this was a different ball game. Mystique had told him as much about the Brotherhood as she could, but there was only so much that could be anticipated. But Blake had shown his strength and commitment thus far to this conflict and she was confident he would adapt, but it was the Brotherhood boys themselves that she was worried about. It took her months to regain their trust again and she still hadn't fully earned it in some ways, but she knew things like this took time…And it was something she had often negated because of her old stubborn qualities for impatience.

Finally, they reached the driveway of the boarding house and Mystique turned the car off. Blake looked ready to go and the shape shifter felt that they might as well get this over with. But before they left, there was still one last thing on her mind.

"Blake…" she began, her tone becoming more serious, "I know this won't be easy and I don't feel right saying this but…Can I ask you to do one more thing while you're here?"

"Of course," said Blake without really having to think about it, "What is it?"

"I know Wanda and Pietro are your primary concerns for protecting," she began as she took a deep breath, "But if at any point you have the time and means…Would you also keep an eye on my kids and check up on them at Xavier's if you can?"

"Sure…I promise I'll make sure they're okay too," assured Blake, "You have my word."

"Thank you…" said the shape shifter, grateful that he was so willing to do something like this for her. She would have done it herself, but she just became too choked up whenever she saw them. It was better somebody else do it rather than her risking an emotional breakdown.

As they approached the house, Mystique had told Blake to wait outside until she brought him in, that way there would be the least possible conflict. Knowing that it was better to get this over with now rather than later, she opened the door and stepped into the house.

"I'm home…" she said, quickly turning towards the living room where she was sure that the boys were seated like they always were.

"Yo Mystique…" said Todd "Toad" Tolensky as he hoped his way down the stairs, "You got some hours at that job of yours."

Just then, Wanda came out from the kitchen, apparently happy to see Mystique. Unlike the rest of the boys, she had developed a more personal friendship with the young woman whom she had rescued from the insane asylum and helped control her powers. She too felt somewhat better upon seeing a familiar face, but others weren't so enthusiastic.

"Great…So how long are you staying this time?" said Pietro with a hint of sarcasm as he dashed into the room at his usual high speeds.

"Just one night," she answered, obviously annoyed at the speedster's habit of running up behind her and surprising her just for kicks, "But I need you all in the living room. I have a very important matter to discuss…One that involves you Pietro as well as your sister."

"Yeah sure…I'm sure dad thinks we're THAT important," scoffed the speedster as he ran towards the living room.

Rolling her eyes, she turned to Wanda.

"What's with him? He seems more cynical than usual," said Mystique.

"When is he not…" replied the Scarlet Witch, "So what's this about?"

"Like I said…Something important," said the shape shifter, "But I'll tell you all what's going on. This is a major development so if anything…Please make sure that Pietro takes this seriously. I don't care how many times you have to hex him, but make sure he takes this seriously."

"My pleasure…" grinned Wanda as she joined the others in the living room.

The TV was still on and Pietro looked as impatient as ever as the other boys awaited the news she deemed to be so important. Upon walking into the room and seeing Lance, Freddy, and Todd on the couch and the Maximoff twins standing off to the side, she grabbed the remote and flipped off the TV.

"Hey! I was watching that!" said Freddy.

"You can keep watching it after this is over," said Mystique as she held on to the remote.

"Just cut to the chase lady," said Pietro, which earned him a punch in the shoulder from his sister to shut him up.

"Don't worry Pietro…This won't take long," assured the shape shifter, "As you know, there's only so much I can tell you about the line of 'work' I've been involved in with Magneto and the Acolytes. But from what I can tell you, just know that something serious has come up and it has forced us to take a few precautions."

"Precautions?" questioned Lance, who seemed somewhat more grumpy than usual for some reason, "What kind of precautions?"

"Precautions for your own good," said Mystique, "I don't care if you believe it or not, but Eric still has a genuine concern for the well being of his children and this Brotherhood."

"I find that hard to believe…" muttered Wanda under her breath, still very sore at her father for obvious reasons.

"But for now…Just know that both he and I have taken steps to ensure your safety and that's why I'm here tonight," she continued, "I know you've all made strides these past few months, but I feel that it's necessary to ensure that more leadership within this place remains while I'm gone so you don't end up trashing this place again."

"Leadership?" scoffed Pietro, "What's wrong with my leadership?"

"Oh, I could think of a few things," commented Lance, earning him a snide look from the speedster.

"Just a few?" grinned Todd.

"Oh shut up you two!" said Pietro, only growing more annoyed.

"I think you all have just proven my point," said Mystique, unable to hide her humored grin, "That's why Eric and I have chosen a new guardian for the Brotherhood. One that will protect you from the threats that you now face and will also serve as a new leader."

"New leader?" asked Freddy, "Just who is this guy? Is it that Gambit guy again?"

"No, it's someone else whom I feel is a bit more equipped to handle the lot of you," said Mystique as she turned towards her head back towards the entrance she had come in through, "Come on in!"

Then, the door opened and Blake proceeded to enter the living room. Some of the members looked at the tall, imposing young man with intrigue while others, namely Pietro, just scoffed. His appearance was commanding and the look on his face was stoic, showing that he wasn't afraid as he looked upon the group of renegade mutant teens that he would now be in charge of.

"Brotherhood…Meet your new leader," proclaimed Mystique, confident that this would have some positive benefits for this rag tag group that she wasn't always there to watch over, "He is Blake Hellstrom…Codename, Blaze."

* * *

AN: Well, I'll leave it there for now. He did well with the Acolytes, now he'll have to do the same with the Brotherhood! Do you think he's up to it? Naturally, it won't be easy, but it's necessary. Sinister is still out there and up to no good! There's plenty more to come and plenty more secrets to be revealed! So what do you think of this fic so far? Do you like it? Do you hate it? Please tell me! Send me your reviews via email or post them on the fanfiction website! All feedback is appreciated! Thank you all for reading this story thus far and I wish you all the best!

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	11. Gaining Trust

**Between Life and Death  
Chapter 11: Gaining Trust**

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You know the drill people! Before I begin, a quick word to my wonderful reviewers!

**Simba317: **I guess your reviews and my stories do make us even. I had a feeling you'd like the Romy hints in the last chapter, but don't worry, I'm not done with them yet! And I think he'd connect well with the Acolytes in his current state, so I'm glad you liked what I did. After the "Cajun Spice" episode, I couldn't help but be taken by their interaction and since this takes place about a year afterwards, I wanted to revisit that fateful moment. Blake/Scott certainly has his work cut out for him now that he's agreed to watch over the brotherhood, but his reasons for doing it do somewhat extend to the man he still is at heart. The stuff going on with the Brotherhood is just beginning my friend and trust me, there's still plenty more to come! Thanks a ton for the awesome review my friend! They're always a pleasure and I hope you continue to enjoy this fic!  
**Howlerdrode: **You'll see what happens with Blake, the Brotherhood, and the X-men soon enough my friend! I'm glad you seem to get such a rush from my fics because there's plenty of action to come! I hope you continue to enjoy it and thanks for the review my friend!  
**Goofn1: **Yes my friend, Lance is making his appearance with this and a future chapters. Know you wanted it, and I shall deliver! I hope you like his role in this and I hope you continue to read and enjoy this fic! Thanks for the review my friend! Peace out!  
**GothikStrawberry: **Yep, Blaze is now with the Brotherhood! His interaction with them will be a big part of what I have planned and as for Romy, I hinted at it with the last chapter and trust me, I'm not done with it! Blake has a lot to do now with both the Brotherhood and Mystique's kids on his hand, it's far from over so stay tuned to see where it goes! Thanks a bunch for the review! Enjoy!  
**Agent-G: **You'll see soon enough my friend. With the Brotherhood now on his weary shoulders, Blake has enough problems to deal with. As for the X-men and Jean, you'll just have to wait and see! Thanks a ton for the review my friend! It's always a pleasure!  
**Quillian: **Sorry man, but a fingerprint wouldn't do much good. Remember, Sinister erased many of his records. I'm glad you like this story thus far and I hope you continue to enjoy it my friend!  
**Sentoris: **Sinister may have erased a lot, but he couldn't erase everything that was Scott Summers. His mind is still intact for the most part and his powers will come into play soon enough, but his memories and the task at hand is his key concern now. Thanks as always for the review my friend and I hope you like where I take this! Peace out!  
**Heartsyhawk: **Wow, favorite chapter…That means a lot to me my friend! I hope I can top it down the line since this fic is still far from over. Mystique's softer side will come into play later on, but for now it's the Brotherhood that's the main challenge and you'll see why with this chapter! I had a feeling you'd like the Romy references with the last chapter and trust me, I'm not done with them! It's always an honor to hear such kind words from you my friend and I hope you continue to read and enjoy my story! Peace!  
**KSimonT-X: **Wow, thank you for such high praise my friend. This story is definitely one of the more unique concepts I've come up with in my history of fanfiction writing. The concept of Blake Hellstrom is still ongoing with this story and there is plenty more to explore! You're right about me pulling out all the stops and I hope to continue doing that with every ounce of effort I put into this! Thanks a ton for the kind review my friend! I really appreciate it! You rock man! Peace out!

Also, a special thanks to: **Sprocket, Heeros n Legends, Rogue14, Diaz, Doza, X00001, Tim Digidestined of Loyalty, Mark C, Strayphoenix, RandomMarvelFan, Jenskott.**

**Also, I have a fic that I'm co-authoring with Agent-G called "Hellfire and Brimstone." It's got Jott, Romy, Wandurt, Kiotr, Loro, and plenty more! Please read and review it! Also, I have another ongoing fic on the adultfanfiction website, so if you want to, go to my profile and check that out as well! And don't forget to review!**

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"Blaze huh?" said Pietro, not looking too impressed with the Brotherhood's new 'leader,' "So where'd you find him? Failed punk band or something?"

Mystique flashed the stubborn speedster another annoyed look, for he was being particularly difficult tonight. Of all the Brotherhood boys, Pietro had become one of the most unruly since his father's return. While Wanda did keep him in check, he seemed to take a perverse pleasure in making things hard for her. She had brought up his behavior with Eric many times before, but given the amount of time that Mr. Sinister required from them, there was little that could be done about it at the moment. And besides…Eric still wasn't on the best of terms with his kids last time Mystique checked.

"Wait, wait…" said Todd, cutting Pietro off before he could make another snide comment, "Why do we need some new leader anyways? I mean, it's not like we've been in any fights with the X-geeks since big bad Apoc."

"Like I said Todd…It's for your protection," said Mystique, "The less you know, the easier you'll all sleep at night. Both Eric and I trust Blake and that's why we're putting him in charge. His job is to keep you all from getting involved in a conflict that Eric would rather not see you be apart of."

Wanda somewhat scoffed at the idea of her father being concerned for her and Pietro's well being, given what he did to her. But while she still hated him, she had come to trust Mystique. She had helped her too much in the past for her to doubt her now and despite her apparent friendship with her father, that still didn't get in the way of being friends with her. And while Pietro may not have been impressed by Blake, Wanda had to admit…She was curious about the stranger. After all, it was so rare someone new would walk through the doors of the boarding house…Especially someone like this.

"So what does that make him?" said Freddy, not seeing why they needed someone to look after them in the first place, "A leader or a bodyguard?"

"Both…" answered Blake in his deep, low-toned voice, "My job is to see that things around here don't get out of hand and to see that you all are safe. And if I can best do that by being your new leader, then so be it."

"Leader or not, I don't see why bucket head chose you," scoffed Freddy in response, "You don't look so strong. What's your power?"

Mystique stepped back and let Blake take over the introduction. So far, he had done well in terms of carrying himself with some of the more stubborn members of the Brotherhood. And having personally trained Blake with Magneto over the past month, something told her that part of this may be somewhat amusing to watch.

Blake responded to Freddy's question by making his whole body glow in its bright, ruby-red color. It outshined all the lights in the room as he displayed dense balls of highly concentrated energy in his hands.

"My body has the ability to tap pretty much any kind of energy out there, be it solar, cosmic, or otherwise," explained Blake, "I can use it for intense firepower or for an extra push when I need a little more strength or endurance."

"So you're a walking night-light?" joked Pietro, evoking a laugh from Freddy while Lance and the others just rolled his eyes at the ongoing scene.

"Yeah, you don't look so tough!" said Freddy, seeming to agree with the speedster's sentiment.

Mystique then saw a somewhat mischievous look in Blake's eye and something told her that whatever happened next would be quite entertaining.

"Not tough you say? Okay then…" said Blake as he stepped forwards and cleared the table in front of the couch where Fred, Lance, and Todd were sitting, "Prove it…Let me see how tough you and I'll show you just how tough I can be."

Blake proceeded to rest his right elbow on the table while holding his hand up, which Freddy and the rest of the Brotherhood took as the universal challenge to an arm wrestling match. But to the immovable Blob, he just scoffed at the notion that this guy was some how stronger than he was.

"Pal…I know you're new here and all, but what makes you think you can beat me at arm wrestling?" laughed Fred, "I'm the Blob…Nobody can beat me!"

"If you're scared, I understand…" smirked Blake, using a bit of psychology to provoke the strong young mutant.

"Excuse me…" said Freddy, whose mood shifted to one of anger, given his short fuse.

"Oh man…Now you've done it yo!" said Todd as he stepped back to get a clearer view.

Blake, however, did not look dissuaded as the smirk on his face did not leave as he looked back at Freddy with no fear in his eyes.

"I said if you're scared about losing to me, I understand…" said Blake, which only seemed to make the Blob madder.

"Me? I'm not scared of anything!" bellowed the immovable Blob, "And just for that, I'll send you on a one way ticket to the emergency room!"

Accepting his challenge, Freddy Dukes placed his elbow on the table and grasped the hand of his challenger. Mystique stepped off to the side near Wanda and Lance, unable to hide her amused grin.

"Watch this…" she said under her breath for only Lance and Wanda to hear.

"You mean…" began Wanda, but Lance soon cut her off.

"Quiet Wanda…This I got to see."

Acting as referee, Pietro placed his hand on top of theirs and prepared to initiate the match…Confident that Fred would win and prove that they didn't need someone looking after them like some babysitter.

"Okay guys…You know the rules," said Pietro, "On the count of three…One, two…THREE!"

Muscles then tensed as both Freddy and Blake began the mutant vs. mutant match. Everybody cheered Freddy on with the exception of Mystique and Wanda, while Lance seemed somewhat indifferent to it all for some reason. Either way, the match hadn't been quick and decisive, much to Fred's surprise. He could easily bend bars of steel and make it look easy, but for some reason…He couldn't push this guy back. He was pushing back with every bit of force that he was…Not an easy feat given the large young man's strength.

"Come on Blob! Rip his arm off!" urged Pietro, eager for one of the Brotherhood boys to show up one of Magneto's recruits.

"You got him Fred man! Just pretend he's a tree or something and snap him like a twig!" added Todd.

Freddy's face contorted into one of great struggle as sweat began to form on his face while Blake remained somewhat calmer despite the exertion of the match.

"Mystique…Shouldn't you stop them?" said Wanda, seeing the looks on their faces as the match continued.

"Wait for it…" said the shape shifter with an amused look as she watched the epic struggle between the two powerhouse mutants.

Such confidence only served to heighten Wanda's intrigue over the young man. Lance also began to shed his indifference as he watched with more intent as the match went on.

"You…Won't…Beat…Me!" grunted Freddy as he kept trying to push back the strong arm of his opponent.

"Less talking…More pushing," said Blake in response, meeting every ounce of strength that Blob was putting into the match.

"Come on Freddy! Waste this guy already!" urge Pietro, growing increasingly impatient.

Blake saw the look of struggle on Freddy's face and felt it was now time to prove his point. Using his powerful energy collecting powers, he took a vast amount of power and focused it in his arm. Upon feeling the great strength he suddenly applied a force to Freddy's arm that shocked nearly everyone in the room. With superhuman strength…Blake actually managed to apply enough force to send the immovable Blob flying through the air and across the room. As he landed with a thud, the Brotherhood fell completely silent while Mystique just looked back at their expressions and grinned.

"Wow…" said Wanda, looking quite surprised by what she and the others had just seen.

"I think you all get the point now," she said, fairly confident that she had seen that coming.

Freddy groaned as he struggled to get up, but as he did…He was surprised to see Blake standing over him with an arm extended down towards him, offering him a hand to help him up. Not feeling too proud of himself, he accepted the gesture and returned to his feet.

"Nice match," commented Blake, "I'll give you a rematch later on. That is…If you want me to stick around."

Mystique had to admit, he was playing the psychology card quite well with these boys. It had taken her months after Apocalypse for her to get them to trust her, yet he seemed to be on the fast track to accomplishing this in a fraction of the time.

As much as Freddy hated losing, it was nice that at least he didn't make fun of him. Having lived with sore losers like Pietro and Lance for over a year now, he hadn't been around too many good sports. Not to mention, the promise of a rematch seemed to be the clincher for him at least.

"Hell, you're okay in my book yo!" said Todd as he hopped over beside the victorious young man, "Cause I got to admit…THAT was pretty cool!"

"Tell me about it…" grumbled Freddy, his head still ringing from the sudden impact he had felt.

"Humph!" scoffed Pietro, still not impressed.

However, the look on his face seemed to amuse Lance, who had been growing increasingly annoyed with Pietro's arrogance since Mystique's arrival.

"Hey, this guy's all right if he can shut Pietro up like that," said Lance with a smirk.

"Definitely…" said Wanda in agreement.

Mystique was never one to have much of a sense of humor…But she had to admit, this whole scene had been pretty funny to watch. And not only that, it seemed to work wonders for Blake in terms of earning some respect from the Brotherhood.

"Well I guess that means you're outvoted Pietro," said Mystique as she tossed the remote control to the TV back to Freddy so they could resume watching their shows, "Blake stays and is officially your leader now. I'm only staying for the night and then I'm going back to work. Neither Eric nor I know how long it will take to clear this mess up, but once we do…I'll return and you'll know everything. Until then, I've already made arrangements for Blake to act as a bodyguard at Bayville High and I've altered some of your schedules so that Wanda and Pietro have the same classes."

"What! You altered my schedule?" said Pietro, not sounding thrilled at all by the level of change that Magneto and Mystique were imposing on him.

"It's already done Pietro," said Mystique, "It's for your own protection."

"Hey, let's get one thing straight lady!" said Pietro as he ran up to within inches of the shape shifter, "And while you're at it…Tell this to dear old dad back at wherever the hell he is! I DON'T need protection!"

And before anybody could respond, the speed demon made a quick dash up the stairs and into his room, promptly slamming his door. Blake didn't look too enthused by this development. Magneto had told him that Pietro was stubborn, but he hadn't said he was THIS stubborn. Was he really so arrogant that he act that way all the time without reason? Apparently…Mystique was right when she told him that this would be a challenge.

"Is he always like that?" asked Blake, as he watched Freddy turn the TV back on.

"Not all the time," said Wanda, who knew him best, "But he can be very stubborn."

"Yeah, there's the understatement of the new millennium," said Lance, thinking Wanda was putting it too lightly.

Lance's mood had been sour ever since he had arrived and while Blake was interested in knowing the reason, his primary concern was getting the whole Brotherhood to trust him…Even Pietro. But such a task was easier said than done and Blake knew it. But to him…He had made a promise to Eric that he would protect his kids. He saved him from Sinister and to Blake, that gave him reason enough to pay him back despite what he didn't know about his past.

"Just let him cool off," said Mystique, "He may be a speed demon…But he's VERY slow at coming around."

"Probably one of the only things he's slow at," added Todd.

"Most likely…Come on Blake, I'll show you where you'll be sleeping," said Mystique as she led him up the stairs.

As he left, Todd once again plopped himself back on the couch next to Freddy, who was still obviously sore over losing.

"Long live the king huh?" grinned Todd.

"Shut up swamp breath!" replied Blob.

"So what do you think of the new guy?" asked Lance, quickly stepping in before Todd made any more stupid comments, "You think this Blaze guy is Brotherhood material?"

"Well…He sure as hell can't be any worse than my brother," shrugged Wanda, thinking Blake was somewhat of a welcomed change, "He already seems to take it more seriously than he ever did."

"Yeah, like that's a stretch," replied Lance, his words dripping with sarcasm, "But why do you think Magneto would want to give us 'protection' anyways? He never really cared much about us before all that Apocalypse shit."

"Hey! You ever think that maybe the real Magneto was never freed…And the guy who we think is Magneto is just some sort of clone?" pondered Todd.

"Dude…You watch too much sci fi," said Freddy, thinking Todd was just being goofy now.

Wanda didn't like conversations with her father as the subject and Lance could tell by he look on her face that it was already irritating her. Not wanting to break another TV, he quickly changed the subject.

"So how do you think our new biker boy will handle school at Bayville?" asked Lance, hoping to get everybody off the topic of Magneto.

"If he can handle an arm wrestling match with Freddy, he can probably handle the pricks in school," said Todd, "Especially since all that mess about Summers being killed."

* * *

As the Brotherhood boys continued to watch TV and talk about their new 'leader,' Mystique led Blake past the locked door of Pietro's room towards a spare room where he would stay for the time being. It wasn't very fancy, but it was all Blake needed for the time being.

"And this will be your room for now…" said Mystique as she flipped the light switch, "You're lucky, this room was once used for storage and was a certified disaster area before I managed to get the Brotherhood boys to clean it up."

"How did you do that?" asked Blake as he took in the surroundings of his new room.

Mystique just laughed and shook her head at the memory.

"I offered them a trip to Outback Steakhouse and a bunch of new video games. You'd be surprised how hard those boys will work if you just give them some incentive. It's just a shame I didn't learn that sooner, otherwise I probably would have had a much easier time with them."

"Well I'll keep that in mind while I'm here," said Blake as he sat on his bed to get a feel for where he would be sleeping, "Do you think they'll ever trust me?"

"Don't worry…They'll come around," assured Mystique, "Hell, you've already made more leaps and strides with them than I ever did when I first recruited them. It takes time, but it also takes effort. They can be unruly, but they're also just boys…And there's Wanda, but you probably won't have to worry about her too much unless her powers go nuts. But as long as you don't bring up her father, you shouldn't have to worry about that."

"Yeah…Magneto warned me about that as well," said Blake as he stretched his limbs.

"Then I take then he told you about what he did to her," said Mystique, knowing it was a sore topic for man.

"He did…But I could tell it's just as bad for him as it probably is for Wanda," he recalled, "He also told me about the experiment he did with Sinister on your son all those years ago."

Mystique's mood then shifted somewhat as the mention of what happened to her son brought out some rather unpleasant feelings for her. But Blake was quick to pick up on them.

"Eric…Mr. Lensherr I mean…Is a complicated man, don't think I don't see that. But in talking to him and getting to know him, I've seen that he's not evil in a sense…Just tainted by years of hardship. You probably know a little about his life as well. You probably know he survived the holocaust and lost his wife. It's a volatile mixture for anger, confusion, and intolerance. But I find it hard to completely hold such actions against him given how twisted his mind was from tragedy."

"So if you were Wanda or Pietro…Would you forgive him?" asked Mystique curiously.

Blake thought briefly about that as he considered their position. Having known Magneto for about a month now, he had come to see him in a unique way since he was one of the first people Magneto had recruited that had no prior knowledge to his dark past…Technically that is. But even when he learned about what he had done, there was still a humanistic aspect to him that clearly showed and Blake didn't use the past to judge that. For Wanda and Pietro, however, it was very different.

"I don't think I can safely say I would or wouldn't," answered Blake, "I can't put myself in their shoes and I can't speak for them. I've already surmised that they are pretty stubborn."

"Yeah…You'll learn just how much so the more you hang around them," mused the shape shifter, finding it somewhat humorous when she thought about it.

"I wouldn't doubt that," said Blake, not one to be naïve about something this serious, "But stubborn or not, I still have to protect them. And maybe…With a little luck, I can get them to trust me. But so far, neither of them seems to like me very much."

"Oh I don't know…" grinned Mystique, "I couldn't help but think that Wanda was checking you out during that arm wrestling match."

"Really?" said Blake in a non-believing tone.

"Well she is a teenage heterosexual girl last time I checked and you're an attractive guy. Don't be too surprised by it," she laughed, surprised that the young man hadn't seen it.

"Well, I guess that's more open to opinion," said Blake, rubbing the back of his neck in a little bit of embarrassment, which only seemed to amuse the shape shifter even more.

"Don't sell yourself short Blake. Believe me…If I was a few decades younger…I'd probably take a stab at you," grinned the shape shifter.

"Hey, I thought your mutation didn't make you age. So wouldn't that be kind of redundant and wouldn't it make you that young already?" quipped Blake.

"Touché…" said Mystique, now feeling somewhat embarrassed herself, "Well, I guess I should leave you now. I'll leave really early in the morning, so good luck looking after the boys…And God help you."

Despite the vote of confidence from the shape shifter, Blake simply rolled his eyes and sighed as he laid back in his bed and rested his tired body and mind.

* * *

He felt like his whole body was on fire…Everything around him was collapsing. Time had slowed down and he could hear his own heartbeat and the sound of his breaths. He felt a rumble from deep within wherever he was and an overwhelming feeling of dread came over him as he looked around to see himself surrounded and cut off from any means of escaping.

Then suddenly…He felt something in the depths of his mind. It was strange…Yet warm. It was as if he could feel a presence right with him even though he completely shut off in his hellish trap. As he felt the heat squeeze the life out of his lungs, the feeling became warmer and deeply comforting. Then…As he fell to his knees…He suddenly saw a strange, angelic female figure standing before him. However, something was keeping him from seeing her…Almost as if his mind itself had a barrier built into it. She reached out to touch him…And he reached out to touch her.

Suddenly, Blake shot up in his bed in a cold sweat as it all suddenly vanished before him.

'A dream…' he thought as he felt himself breathing hard in an effort to catch his breath, 'It was just a dream.'

Looking over at the clock radio beside his bed, he saw that it was around six in the morning. Even though it was a school day, he doubted anybody would be up this early. Mystique was most likely gone already and now he was officially in charge. It was a daunting task, given the nature of the Brotherhood. Living as outcasts from both humans and other mutants, they were not very trusting to say the least. Mystique was only a partial exception, but that was probably because she was their legal guardian. Never the less, if he was going to ensure that Sinister didn't get his hands on any of them, they would have to trust him.

Forcing himself out of bed, Blake made his way down to the hall bathroom and splashed cold water on his face in an effort to wake himself up. He then proceeded down towards the empty kitchen and began roaming through the pantry for some breakfast.

Then, as he found himself a couple of pop tarts to heat up, Wanda entered the kitchen still wearing her sleeping attire.

"I take it Mystique left already," she said, drawing the young man's attention away from his food and towards her.

"Yeah, she did," answered Blake, "There's a lot she and the rest of the Acolytes have to take care of. The quicker they do it…The better."

"Do you know what they're up to?" asked the Scarlet Witch curiously as she sat down next to him, "Just what is this conflict that is so bad that she can't tell me or anybody else about it? I know Mystique has been in and out of here for months. And sometimes she comes in with injuries."

With a sigh, Blake knew he would have to keep that part of it from her. One of the big things Eric and Raven made him promise was that he wouldn't tell anybody too much about the seriousness of the situation.

"Well…I do know, but I promised them I wouldn't tell you or anybody else in the Brotherhood," answered Blake, "Trust me though…You're all safer not knowing."

"Yeah, yeah…" muttered the Scarlet Witch, "That's what Mystique always tells me."

"Well it's true," justified Blake, "There are some things out there in this world that go beyond simple conflicts. Some are in the shadows…Some go on without you or anybody else ever knowing. And some are very personal and must be handled in a certain way."

"You're talking about my father aren't you?" said Wanda in a somewhat bitter tone.

"Well I wasn't going to say it directly…" said Blake, not wanting to have brought the conversation to this sore subject for her.

"I don't understand how you or Mystique could ever work for a monster like that…" she said, obviously still very bitter about what he did to her, "He's got so much blood on his hands and so many demons, that I can't see how he can do any good in this world."

"You'd be surprised Wanda…" said Blake as he leaned back in his chair.

"What do you mean?" she asked skeptically.

"Well…Maybe you don't know your father as well as you think you do," he suggested, "I'm not saying what he did to you or Mystique's son was right, but if he shows a great deal of regret for such actions and is willing to repent for them…Doesn't he at least deserve a chance?"

"Him…Repent? Yeah right," scoffed Wanda.

"Believe whatever you want Wanda, but don't judge him without at least talking with him," argued the young man, "I've been around him for over a month and I can tell that despite his shady background, he does have a good heart. I don't care whether or not you believe me, but if the guy shows that he regrets past actions, doesn't he at least deserve to be heard out before you cast away your father in a way not at all dissimilar to the way he cast you away?"

Wanda fell silent upon hearing that and Blake felt that maybe he shouldn't have used such words. He had only been around for a month with the Acolytes and there was still plenty he didn't know about, but if he could see it, then he was confident that others could as well…Including Wanda and Pietro. But their stubborn nature would definitely be an obstacle.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore…" groaned Wanda as she rested her still tired head on the table.

"Then let's change the subject shall we?" suggested Blake, trying to keep her from falling into a stupor, "Why don't you tell me about the rest of the Brotherhood? I know about them from what Mystique told me…But you seem to know them first hand. And if I'm going to watch over you guys, I think I'll need to know as much as possible."

Taking a deep breath, Wanda let out a sigh as she turned to face the newest Brotherhood recruit. She had to admit, he had intrigued her last night with the show he put on around the boys and he did seem a lot more level headed than anybody in the house at the moment. And if he didn't know the full scoop on this constantly chaotic place, then it was better she told him instead of the others.

As the sun began to rise outside, Wanda went into brief details about each member of the Brotherhood. She told them some of their personalities, their likes and dislikes, and what they usually do when they're not being unruly. She went on to explain how Todd was kind of the wannabe of the group, but was mainly a fun loving kind of guy who had his own interests. And while Wanda included some of his hobbies like painting, video games, and catching flies with his tongue…She decided to leave out his little crush on her for the time being.

She went on to tell him about Freddy and where he came from. Like her, he had a rather short fuse, but after Blake's little display last night, she didn't think he would have too much trouble with him as long as he kept food around the place, ready at a moments notice to be devoured. But as she went on to Lance, she got a little more in depth. Lance, who had been rather cranky for the last few months, was kind of the bad boy figure that scoffed at anybody who implied that he wasn't tough enough. For the most part, he was the most level headed of the group and had probably the most concise conscious for right and wrong. However, his mood had been very down ever since his rather unpleasant breakup with Kitty Pryde of the X-men, who was a long time love interest. But Wanda went on to assure him that he was slowly getting over her…As long as he didn't see her in the halls hanging around another guy, namely Kurt Wagner whom he had noticed getting closer to Kitty since their breakup.

As she got to Pietro, the one she probably knew best, her mood once again soured. Last night when he and Mystique had arrived, Pietro had been the most vocal critic of having a body guard…Especially one ordered by his father. But part of that criticism came from his cocky, arrogant personality. While since Apocalypse and the revelation about her past she had managed to gain somewhat of a renewed relationship with her sibling, there was still plenty of room for improvement and to Blake, it seems that he would be the most difficult to handle.

"So Pietro's always like that…Cocky and arrogant?" asked Blake as he finished up his pop tarts.

"No, not always," said Wanda, "He does have a human side to him that he shows from time to time. He's still my brother and I'm still his sister whether we like it or not, but sometimes I have to hex him a few times before he comes around."

"That sounds like a rather interesting sibling bond," said Blake with a laugh.

"Yeah…I guess so," said Wanda, finding it somewhat humorous herself, "Pietro's an okay guy to hang out with around the boys, but the reason he probably seemed like such a jerk last night was because he doesn't like new people coming in and threatening to steal his thunder. One of the defining qualities about him is his rather arrogant notion about not needed anybody else to look out for him. I guess that's just kind of how he sees you…A challenge to his character or something."

"Well I hope I can get him to see me differently," said Blake, "My job is to protect you two and I can't do that effectively if you both don't trust me. I made a promise to your father and I intend to keep it."

"Well I can't say it's a very comforting feeling knowing that he and I are in some kind of serious danger but still being kept in the dark," mused Wanda, "But after seeing how you handled things last night, I guess I can't stop you and I don't want to try. I just still find it hard to believe that Magneto is just 'so' concerned about us after having abandoned us so many times."

"Like I said Wanda, there's a reason for everything," replied Blake, "If you don't trust him, trust me when I say he was genuinely concerned for your well being as well as Pietro. He still loves you both and he doesn't want to lose you…And that's the truth. And after this conflict is over, I'm confident you'll see for yourself and you can make your own decision."

Wanda may have not been too keen on the idea of being in the same zip code as her father at the moment, but judging by the seriousness in Blake's tone…It did sound somewhat true. It was the same thing Mystique had been telling her for quite some time now, but a part of her still found it hard to believe. Then again…Maybe there was still some hope for the future, but being kept in the dark about the danger she and her brother was in didn't help.

Just as Wanda was getting a bottle of water out of the refrigerator, another presence joined the two mutants as the sunlight began to radiate throughout the house and begin a new day.

"Morning Cuddlebumps," said Todd as he hoped over to Wanda, "How's my favorite goth girl?"

With an annoyed groan, she turned to face the ever persistent young mutant who just never seemed to take a hint.

"How many times do I have to tell you Todd…DON'T CALL ME THAT!" she said, with her eyes glowing in a slight purplish color.

"Uh…Sorry," he cowered, even though he had grown somewhat accustomed to Wanda's temper now, "I must keep forgetting."

"Well I'll be more than happy to leave a little reminder for you…One that hurts!" she bellowed.

"Wanda…" said Blake as he quickly walked over to her and tried to calm her with a gentle arm on her shoulder, "Calm down…Is it really worth getting that angry?"

Then, much to Todd's surprise, her eyes stopped glowing and she took a deep breath before simply storming upstairs without saying another word.

"Whew…" said Todd in relief, "Thanks yo. I thought I was gonna get hexed for sure."

"You're welcome Todd," said Blake as he tossed him a couple of pop tarts from the pantry, which he accepted, "Just remember not to push too many of her buttons. There are other ways of showing affection you know."

"Really? Like what?" asked the young mutant with somewhat more intrigue, always open to ideas for Wanda to like him more.

"Well I don't exactly know them myself, it kind of depends on the girl," answered Blake as Todd opened up the package and began eating the pop tarts, "And Wanda's rather unique when it comes to that matter."

"I know…" sighed Todd in a dreamy tone which only made Blake roll his eyes in amusement, "She's the kind of girl that would make a guy wanna shower every day for."

As much as he would have liked to know more about Todd's hygienic habits, Blake valued keeping his breakfast in his stomach. Already it seemed as though Todd and Wanda wouldn't be much of a problem…That is as long as Wanda kept her temper in check. It was a good start, but he would have to go further if he was going to ensure their safety from Sinister. There was no question that there was still much work to be done with them, but it was still early and Blake was confident that he could make it work.

Now, he had a new challenge as more of the Brotherhood boys began to stir from their sleepy state…And that was keeping them out of trouble in Bayville High.

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AN: Well, that's it for now! I doubt anybody ever thought that Scott, or Blake as he is now, would end up as the de facto leader of the Brotherhood! But I kind of wanted to make this fic unique and rest assured there is still more to come! Sinister is still out there and Scott/Blake is still suffering from the mind wipe! See what happens in the next chapter when he actually meets the X-men in school! So what do you all think so far? Please tell me! I'd love to know! Send me your reviews via email or post them on the fanfiction website! I appreciate all feedback! Thank you all very much for reading and I wish you all the best!

CREATIVE ENGINES NEED REVIEWS FOR FUEL! HELP ME REFULE!


	12. Bayville High

**Between Life and Death  
Chapter 12: Bayville High**

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Hey, time for an update! But before that, a quick work to the people who reviewed!

**Agent-G: **Thanks for persisting while the server was down dude. I'm glad you liked the last chapter, now the Brotherhood will show their role in this fic as things progress. Thanks a bunch for the review my friend! It's always a pleasure man! You rock!  
**GothikStrawberry: **Well…You're right, technically he isn't new, but they don't know that! And the arm wrestling scene was kind of just me wanting to add a little more fun to this otherwise deeply dramatic story. As for the dream, you'll see how that affects both 'Blake' and Jean in the events to come! I hope you like where I take it and thanks a ton for the review! Peace out!  
**Doza: **Yeah, I had a lot of fun with the arm wrestling scene. When it comes to the Brotherhood, you got to be creative! As for the human side of Mystique, Magneto, and even the Brotherhood, read on and find out just how deep it will lead because the best is yet to come my friend!  
**Simba317: **Thank you as always for being one of the biggest contributor to my fueling! The Pietro conflict is only beginning with the last chapter and Blake definitely has his work cut out for him. He's stubborn, but who can blame him given all the betrayal he's gone through? But Wanda will always be there to keep him and line! And at least she has something decent with Mystique, who was the one who got her out and helped her control her powers, so it's only natural they'd be close. As for Jean, those dreams are just the beginning my friend! The longer she has them, the more they'll hurt her…But given Blake's equally confusing scenario, at least she won't be the only one! Thanks as always for the super stellar review my friend! You rock! Peace out!  
**Heartsyhawk: **I'm glad that I can make each chapter better than the last for you. Each chapter takes a lot of effort and with what I have planned, rest assured there will be a lot left to tell before all is said and done, so I hope I can keep up my streak of making each chapter better than the last! As for the Brotherhood scene, I wanted to have a little fun with them so the arm wrestling bit was sort of just way to lighten this otherwise very dramatic story up a touch. Blake still has quite a bit of work cut out for him, but he's going to have to work around it if he's going to keep his promise! And that scene with Wanda, just so you know, was actually inspired by the Ultimate X-men comic since Wanda did kind of flirt with Scott for a while and I just thought I ought to add it in for a few laughs! Trust me, there's still more to come my friend! Thank you so much for every wonderful word you've said my friend! It really means a lot to me! You rock!

Also, a special thanks to: **X00001, Mark C, Wen1, Diaz, Gimmeabreak, Rogue14, Aaron, Jenskott, ClowSword-Wielder, Ldypebsaby.**

**Also, I have a fic that I'm co-authoring with Agent-G called "Hellfire and Brimstone." It's got Jott, Romy, Wandurt, Kiotr, Loro, and plenty more! Please read and review it! Also, I have another ongoing fic on the adultfanfiction website, so if you want to, go to my profile and check that out as well! And don't forget to review!**

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In the month that followed Scott's death, things didn't get any easier for the X-men and the friends that still mourned him. However, slowly but surely, things began to return to a sense of normalcy. They returned to school, participated in danger room sessions again, and began to move on knowing that no amount of grief was ever going to bring Scott back.

Jean, however, was slower to recover than others. She had been the one to take Scott's death the hardest and she was still bearing a perpetual look of gloom on her face that seemed as though it would never leave her. The adults tried to help her, but she kept pushing them away…Not wanting anybody to tell her the same things over and over again about how he was gone and never coming back. She already knew this and as much as that hurt…That wasn't what was disturbing her so much. The one thing that hurt most other than the grief was the dreams that accompanied them. Since it happened, Jean hadn't been able to get a decent night sleep because of them. But what was strange was that the dreams weren't simply replays of what had happened…They were something else. They included fuzzy images of Scott being engulfed in this strange, asphyxiating liquid environment and strange feelings that resembled being burned from the inside out. But what disturbed her most were these horrifying red eyes that kept leering over and taunting him…And that was when she usually woke up.

The lack of sleep only compounded Jean's grim situation. The Professor tried with all his power to help her rest with mental blocks. But for some reason…He couldn't stop the dreams from happening even though Jean wouldn't give him the full details. Hank tried to prescribe sleep aids to her…But she refused to take them. The longer Jean went on struggling with sleep and the longer she went on feeling paralyzed by her grief, the more worried everyone became. She had tried spending time with her parents, but that didn't help as much as they had hoped…Especially when they suggested the awful notion of setting her up with someone else. The others tried to be extra friendly to her and that did help break her out of her shell somewhat, but it only took one look into her emerald green eyes to see clearly that she was still in pain. Whatever was haunting her seemed to go beyond grief…No, this was something else…Something even she couldn't put her finger on. But the longer it went on, the more troubling it felt for her.

Others beside Jean faired better, but still harbored deep feelings of loss. Kurt was among the worst in this category, for he still blamed himself for not having the strength to get Scott out of there in time. Even as he tried to distract himself with his normal routine, he was still never the same. Thankfully, Kitty had taken the time to be around him and help him through the rather harsh guilt that ate away at his fragile soul. For hours on end, she would just sit with him and listen to him vent his grief on himself while she took the time to reassure him that it wasn't his fault and that Scott wouldn't want him to keep kicking himself like this. It was a hard task for her and everybody else that tried to help him, but he was slowly coming around. This in turn also helped Kitty somewhat deal with the grief she felt as well. Now, she and Kurt had become somewhat close in wake of this tragedy and spent a lot more time together…Helping one another fight through this horrible ordeal.

Bobby, who also blamed himself for Scott's death, had also been slow to recover. Despite the help of the Professor and the others, he still couldn't fight his feelings of guilt. He had been talking to the Professor constantly, trying to pull himself out of this rut of depression and remorse. Concerned friends, like his long time love interest Jubilee, helped to make certain things easier for him…But he still didn't return to his old, goofy, playful self. At one point, he took a break from the institute and returned home to his parents for a week or so…And that did help, but he was still far from his old self and he wasn't sure he ever would return to that innocence ever again.

In the weeks that followed, Rogue was also having a hard time dealing with the tragedy. She could handle being deceived by her mother and living a life without being able to touch…But she found this to be one of the hardest things to deal with in her seemingly cursed life. Scott had always been somewhat more than a friend to her since she joined the institute. He was the moral anchor and role model for many of the younger students to aspire to and he was one of the few who understood the feeling of being forever cursed by a mutant power. Losing him was just such a traumatic experience that it made nearly all others pale in comparison. Learning about the harsh life he had lived did little to help her feel better…But it did put many things in perspective for her. Now she knew why he did what he did…Now she understood some of the feelings she had absorbed from him. Gradually, it helped her accept it…But it didn't make it any less painful.

Many of the other new recruits managed to heal faster than the others since they had not been there to witness the horrible tragedy directly. Many of them had to contend with helping those who were there and hearing each one of their grim stories about how it happened and how much it hurt. In the end Ray, Amara, Tabitha, Jubilee, Roberto, Rhane, and Jamie were left with trying to cheer their distraught friends. While they didn't always go about it in the best way…They did serve to help the others through these tough times.

The teachers of the institute also slowly began to mend the wound that Scott's death had caused over the course of the month that would forever hang strong over their minds. Logan had been tearing up the danger room on a regular basis and Ororo found herself spending more time in her garden…Growing rare plants and flower for the others to leave at Scott's grave. Hank had also chosen to busy himself with work and often spent time cooped up in his lab or organizing activities with some of the new recruits. For Professor Charles Xavier, accepting the death of his first student had been a hard pill to swallow…But the desire to continue to help his students and carry on what Scott would have wanted him to, helped him get through each day. While he remained greatly concerned for Jean…He was sensing that for the most part, his students were starting to cope with the idea that they were never going to see their fallen leader and friend ever again.

"I'm headin' out y'all!" shouted Rogue from the main hall as she prepared to leave for school in one of the Professor's many cars, "If ya wanna ride, this is the last call!"

Bobby, Jubilee, Kurt, and Kitty were quick to heed Rogue's warning. Since Scott and Jean had graduated, Rogue had found herself the principal means of transportation to and from school. Kurt had his license now and Kitty would soon have hers, but they didn't have cars so it was up to her now.

"Hold on! Don't leave yet Rogue!" urged Kurt as he struggled to zip up his backpack in his room before teleporting down to the garage where everybody else was already waiting.

"Is that everybody?" she asked as she started the car, "We're already five minutes late."

"I think that's everybody," said Kitty as she took a seat between Jubilee and Kurt in the back while Bobby sat up front.

"Good…Cause we can't be late again. Ya know how that dang principal is," she said as she pulled out of the driveway, "He's got no sympathy for anybody."

"At least he's better than Kelly," said Bobby as he let out a sigh and sank into his seat.

As they pulled out of the garage, some waved goodbye to Logan…But like he had so many times before in wake of Scott's death, he had chosen to busy himself with work on his motorcycle. He remained somewhat irritable, but they had come to expect that from the feral mutant by now.

As Rogue pulled out of the driveway and adjusted her mirror, she caught a brief glimpse of Jean setting by a window…Staring out at the clear sky with her usual dazed expression. Every time she or anybody else saw that heartbreaking look, it served as a grim reminder just how hard Scott's death had been on everybody. Many had tried to help cheer her up, but there was just…Something…About the look in her face that they could not understand or empathize with. It seemed to go beyond grief and extended to some other feeling that nobody could yet understand.

Rogue forced herself too look away, but not before the others had a chance to see her expression.

"Jean hasn't been getting much better has she?" said Bobby, in a tone that made his words sound more like a statement than a question.

"Nope…Whatever's hurtin' her…It ain't gettin' any easier for her," said Rogue as she concentrated on the road.

"Well this past month has been hardest on her," said Kitty, "I've tried talking to her, but…She just seems to have retreated into her own world now."

"On top of that, it looks like she hasn't slept in weeks," added Jubilee.

"Vell, who can blame her?" said Kurt, "I still have nightmares about it too."

"We all do Kurt," said Bobby, "I guess her dreams are just more intense."

"I wouldn't be surprised…" said Kitty, "She really did love Scott…I can't imagine what a toll this must be taking on her."

The car fell deathly silent as everybody was once again forced to think about the horrible effects that Scott's death had brought over the institute. As much as it hurt them, it hurt Jean the worst. No matter how much she talked about it…There remained this strange sense of reluctance to accept the fact that he was gone. Nobody knew why she continued to torture herself with such a notion, but there was little that they could do to change her mind.

"Do you think she'll get any better?" asked Jubilee.

"I don't know…" said Rogue with a sigh, "I guess that's still somethin' up in the air."

"I hope she does…I honestly can't stand seeing her like this," said Kitty, trying hard not to let her emotions get the better of her in thinking about the current state of one of her closest friends.

"I hear that the Professor may resort to psychotherapy if she becomes any more withdrawn," said Bobby grimly as he rested his tired head on his hand.

"Let's hope it doesn't get that bad…" said Kurt, shuttering at the notion of Jean being forced to confront something she was not yet able to deal with, "It's bad enough we lost one friend…I don't think I could handle losing another."

It was a grim outlook…But there seemed little more that they could do other than wait and hope for the best. School had always provided a good distraction, but in the early days of their return, some people didn't make it any easier for them as word of Scott's death spread. While there were some that came forward and offered their sympathies…Other mean jerks simply scoffed at their loss and chalked it up to having one less 'freak' to deal with. At one point, Kurt had nearly lashed out at one of the guys that had said that…But Kitty managed to hold him back. After all, there was no need to make their situation worse than it already was.

Back at the institute, Jean was still stuck in her dazed state. She had watched the others ride off to school, choosing to move on with their lives despite the pain of their loss. While so many others were accepting the fact that Scott was dead and gone, Jean still had troubles processing the whole tragedy. A part of her knew he was dead, but she just couldn't accept it. As much as she wanted this pain to go away and move on…A part of her just wouldn't allow that to happen.

'What's wrong with me?' she thought with a tear in her eye, 'Why does it still hurt so much? Why can't I accept the fact that he's…Gone?'

Her lack of sleep was doing little to help her situation. Every night, she was plagued by dreams and feelings of that horrible mission that went so terribly wrong. Only…They seemed like more than just dreams to her. They were so vivid…So real…And displayed thoughts and feelings that just ate away at her heart and soul. She didn't want to tell anybody what she was dreaming…For she didn't want them to think she was going crazy. Not only was she dreaming the whole ordeal over and over again…But there was more after it that she didn't understand. Images of being immersed in a strange liquid prison…Feeling trapped and confined as a horrible sensation shot through the body like a white hot fire…And those menacing leering eyes made it almost too hard for her too even think about sleeping.

Jean truly thought that maybe she was going crazy…That maybe part of her sanity had died with Scott. In all the years that she had known him, he had been her rock…Her stability in life. Now that he was gone, everything seemed so chaotic. These thoughts…These sensations…These dreams…Nobody could understand them and she found it too hard to talk to anybody about it.

But the worst part of all was the knowledge that she didn't know where these dreams were coming from. In her head late at night…She would feel these alien sensations in her mind. The Professor had not sensed them…They only seemed linked to her and nobody else. What did it mean? Why was it haunting her so much? Was this some sort of punishment for not being with him when he died? Was this some sort of sign that she did not yet understand? So many questions…Yet there were no answers in sight. Nobody could understand…Nobody could possibly know…But Jean Grey was determined to fight this. As hard as life was without her soul mate there with her…She knew he would have wanted her to find the strength to move on.

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Back at the Brotherhood house, Blake was getting ready for everybody to depart for school. Everybody was up now, except for Pietro. He had learned from Lance that the speed demon liked to sleep in until there wasn't much time left before class since he could simply use his super speed to get himself there on time. Blake, knowing it was his job to protect him, tried to wake him up…But the speedster's stubborn nature remained strong.

For the most part, he spent the morning learning from the others the logistics of Bayville High. Even though he was not taking any classes, he would have to know the territory in order to best carry out the duties that Magneto had given him. He also used the opportunity in the morning to become friendlier with the Brotherhood boys. He managed to placate Freddy's anger about the arm wrestling match last night with freshly cooked pancakes and even got on Lance's good side when helped make a quick repair on his jeep. When the time finally came to go, Blake turned to the stairs in order to make one last call for Pietro.

"Hey Pietro!" he yelled up the stairs, "Wake up! You're going to have to come with us today!"

As he expected, he didn't get a response. But before he could call again, he suddenly felt a gust of wind pass by him. Then, in a strange blur, Pietro suddenly appeared before the door fully ready for school with a cocky grin on his face.

"Sorry leader boy…But I choose to get to school on the express route," he said in his usual hurried tone.

"Pietro, I can't look after you if you aren't around!" said Blake, trying to keep his words from being too authoritative, knowing that will just motivate the speedster to disobey them even more.

"Hey, I've told you before 'Blaze.' I don't need anyone's protection!"

"You say that now, but trust me…You'll be putting yourself and many others in a lot more danger with that attitude of yours," quipped Blake, "Like I've said before…There's a good reason why your father sent me here to protect you and the Brotherhood."

"Oh please…" said Pietro cynically, "Wanda and I work to save his sorry ass from Apocalypse and he just up and disappears on us! Yeah…He's REAL concerned for our well being. He had his chance…And he betrayed us all. Don't think I'm stupid enough to believe that you're just some noble minded lackey of his looking out for us when I know my dad stopped caring a LONG time ago!"

Then, before Blake could respond, Pietro was out the door and already halfway to school. With an exasperated sigh, he turned back towards the kitchen to rally the others, for he would have to deal with Pietro when they got to school. But as he turned around, he saw Wanda standing there near the doorway with a sympathetic look on her face.

"He didn't mean all of that you know…" she told him, feeling irked by her brother's impolite behavior ever since Blake's arrival, "He and I have just gotten into the habit of assuming the worst when it comes to our 'father.'"

"Then why do you seem to trust me when I can't even get him to listen for more than a few nanoseconds?" asked Blake.

"Because you're not trying to control us and instead you're trying to be a friend…That much I can see," she responded, "I don't trust Magneto in the slightest…But I do trust Mystique. And if she says you're okay…Then I guess that's good enough for me."

"Thanks…" he said gratefully, "I'm glad you feel that way. It should make my job a lot easier, but I still have to protect your brother."

"Well don't worry about that…" said Lance as he, Todd, and Freddy stepped into the hall with his backpack ready to go, "We'll knock some sense into him eventually. He's just being more stubborn than usual."

"Ha! I don't know if that's even possible yo!" laughed Todd.

"With my brother…I'm sure it is," said Wanda as she rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Well be that as it may…" said Blake, still not daunted by this development, "He'll soon find out that I can be just as stubborn when it comes to challenges I'm assigned."

As the rest of the Brotherhood piled into Lance's jeep, Wanda went over her schedule with Blake. Like Mystique had said, it had been slightly altered so that she would share a few classes with Pietro so he could look after the both of them. Even though he wasn't partaking in any classes himself, he would have to make himself blend in. And for a tall guy with a large built, dread locks, and tattoos who hung out with the Brotherhood, that was definitely going to be easier said than done.

"Okay, at lunch, remember to avoid the big jock and cheerleader table near the doorways," said Lance as he filled in some of the blanks that Wanda left out, "They always like to start fights with mutants…Believe me, I almost got suspended over it."

"Well I'm not a student there…I don't think they can 'suspend' me," said Blake as they passed a green light and neared the turn off for the school.

"If that's the case…Then do you mind breaking a few heads for me why you're here?" asked Todd, "Some of those assholes just don't know how to leave us alone yo."

"Sorry…But a low profile is my top concern Todd," said Blake, "But if they pick on you…I can give them a fair 'warning' if you know what I mean."

"Hey! That's good enough for me!" grinned Todd, causing the rest of the car to roll their eyes in annoyance over his playful interpretation of the situation.

"Just remember, I can't always be there," said Blake, "But if you want…I'll teach you some of the self defense moves that Mystique taught me while I'm here."

"You'd do that?" said Todd, looking surprised.

"Sure…As long as I'm with the Brotherhood, I might as well make myself useful," he said as Bayville came into view.

"Wait…If Mystique knows how to fight, then how come she never taught us?" asked Freddy as they pulled into the parking lot.

"Probably because you didn't ask," reasoned Blake with a humored smirk.

"Whatever," said Lance, "And one more thing…Whatever you do, try to avoid the X-men at all costs. They're nothing but bad luck."

"Why is that?" asked Blake, noticing a rater bitter tone in Lance's voice as he mentioned the X-men.

"Just trust me on this one…" he said, still sounding a bit more disgruntled about the subject than he was letting one, "The less you're involved with the X-men, the better…"

Upon finishing those last words he slammed the door shut and grabbed his backpack. He was still obviously embittered upon mentioning the subject, but he didn't say anything else about it…Much to Blake's curiosity.

"I'll see you in third period Wanda…" said Lance as he headed off on his own into the school.

Upon seeing the look on his face, Blake turned to ask the others what was with his attitude when it came to the X-men.

"What's with him?" he inquired as he looked back towards Freddy, Todd, and Wanda.

"Among many personal issues?" laughed Todd, "A lot of things yo. But he's just been extra grumpy for the last few months. It's been driving everybody crazy."

"Well to be fair…" said Wanda, feeling that Blake probably wanted something more specific than Todd's mundane observation, "Lance broke up with a rather serious girlfriend a while back and he's been taking it pretty hard."

"Yeah, she was that little valley girl that could walk through things, Kitty," said Fred, remembering all too well the seemingly endless phone conversations Lance had with that girl.

"And on top of that…She's an X-man," said Wanda, "And after several rather major fights…She broke up with him in a rather major spectacle that still has my ears ringing."

"Ha! That's puttin' it lightly!" said Todd as he and the others began making their way up to the front entrance, "I don't know what they ever saw in each other to begin with. All they ever did was fight and disagree over shit."

"But if they were together for as long as you say they were, they must have had something," reasoned Blake.

"Yeah, they probably did," said Wanda, "It's probably why he's been so bitter about it. Add to that, rumor has it that Kitty's been getting heavily involved with someone else…Another X-man to be precise."

"Oh…No wonder he's so disgruntled about them," said Blake, now seeing why Lance would have such a strong distaste for the X-men.

"Although I honestly don't get it…I mean, the X-men haven't been causing us any trouble ever since that whole Apocalypse ordeal," said Wanda, "And I've talked to Kitty. She's a nice girl, but Lance just won't get over it."

"Yeah, he still tries to talk to her, but every time she's with that Nightcrawler guy," said Freddy, "And that just makes him angrier!"

"And we have the repair bills back home to prove it…" muttered Todd.

It made a little more sense now to Blake why Lance wouldn't like the X-men. Although Magneto hadn't told him a great deal about them, he did say that they were not a threat and that they had proven themselves to be likely allies should the going get tough with Sinister. However, he was still urged NOT to get them involved in this. He knew Magneto took this conflict very personally along with Mystique and didn't want to get anyone else involved in their mess.

"So do you think I should still avoid the X-men?" asked Blake as he stopped near the locker areas so that they others could get their books.

"Normally, it wouldn't matter," said Wanda, "But after what happened to that friend of theirs a month ago, I would say don't get involved. They all have been in a pretty deep rut ever since."

"Friend? What do you mean?" asked Blake.

"What? You never heard?" asked Todd, "About a month ago they went on some mission and one of the X-men died in the process."

"Yeah, it was the guy with the visor…Scott Summers," said Wanda, remembering what she could.

"Scott Summers…" said Blake, the name sounding a little strange to him.

For a moment, Blake found himself saying that name over and over again…Wondering why it felt so…Weird for lack of a better word. When Wanda had said that name, it had somehow triggered his recollection of the nightmares he had been having off and on for the past few weeks. Memories of being in a strange fire, hearing frantic screams, and being engulfed by this strange, choking green liquid that made him fell as though he was being torn apart from the inside out were almost too strange to count of as normal dreams. They were obscure, yet vivid in terms of feeling and realness. And the more he thought about them, the stranger they felt.

"Yo Blaze, you still with us?" said Todd, waving his hand in front of his face.

Blake quickly snapped himself back to reality as he managed to regain his composure.

"Uh yeah…Sorry," he said as he shook off the strange thoughts that had occurred as a result of the name Wanda had mentioned, "I must have just spaced. Well…I guess this is where we part. I have to go to the office and get a pass. Come on Wanda, this shouldn't take long."

"Sure thing yo!" said Todd as he and Freddy walked away, "Stay cool man!"

As Blake and Wanda made their way towards the office, the X-men entered the front entrance they had just come through and walked towards them. Blake then saw them and Wanda quickly identified them.

"That's the X-men," she said in a voice low enough so that they couldn't hear, "Don't worry, as long as Lance isn't around they won't start anything."

Blake just nodded in response as he stood fixated on the image of the five seemingly normal looking teens. His mind told him that he had never seen these people before…Then suddenly, he felt the dream again. And for a brief moment, he found himself no longer in the halls of Bayville high…But back in the fire, hearing the frantic screams echo around him as every wall around him came collapsing down on him.

"Blake!" shouted Wanda, breaking him out of his daze once again.

"What? Oh…Sorry," said Blake as he rubbed the temples of his head, "I'm spacing left and right today for some reason."

"Are you sure you'll alright?" asked Wanda skeptically, knowing from personal experience the signs of mental strain.

"Yeah…I'll be fine," he said as he shook it off once again, "Come on…Let's go before I make you late to your first class."

As Blake and Wanda entered first period class, Pietro was already there lazily waiting for them as if he had been there for some time now…Which neither of them doubted. Blake had told Wanda that they would have to sit near him so that he could best keep a watchful eye over the both of them, which didn't really enthrall her too much. They had enough conflict at home as it is, but given the choices they had she would simply suck it up and hopefully manage to spite the speedster in the process as any good sibling should.

"You're both late…" grinned Pietro as Wanda took a seat next to him and Blake took a seat behind them.

"I'm really not in the mood now Pietro…" groaned Wanda as she took out her textbook and decided to busy herself with reading.

"See…I told you I could make it here without a body guard," said Pietro as he turned towards Blake.

"This time…" replied the older mutant, "But you may not always be so lucky."

"It has nothing to do with luck and everything to do with skill punk boy…" said Pietro in his usual hurried tone, "I'm so fast that nobody in the right mind would even think of trying to catch me."

"You're right…Nobody in the right mind would," said Blake with a slight grin, "But what if someone came after you that wasn't exactly in the 'right mind' to begin with?"

Pietro just looked back at the strange expression on his face and rolled his eyes in annoyance. He wasn't looking forward to having some guy he barely knew looking over his shoulder for any amount of time at all. While Wanda and the others seemed to find him to be okay, Pietro remained stubborn in his views…Still not seeing what made this guy so special.

As the teacher entered the class nearly five minutes late, Pietro was already half asleep with boredom. Because of his speed, he could do every assignment within the span of 10 minutes. His mind was just too fast and the pace of this simple math class was just too slow for a guy like him.

"Okay class, now I know you all had SO much fun on the homework last night," said the teacher over a wave of groans, "So let's go over some of the advanced problems I got so many emails on."

Blake looked over at Pietro as the teacher began writing a rather large, complicated problem on the blackboard. He already looked bored as he had all the assignments, probably extending months ahead, neatly in his notebook. Wanda, despite her inherent distaste of math, was already taking notes. Twins or not, they seemed to have quite a bit of difference between them and he hoped that it wouldn't interfere too much with his task of protecting them.

"Okay now class…" said the teacher as everybody looked at the imposing problem before them, "Now who can tell me the first step in solving this and don't be afraid of saying something you may think is wrong. Part of math is trial and error. Anyone?"

Much of the class stayed silent, too afraid to tackle something that looked so difficult. But as Blake looked at the problem on the board…Somehow, it ran through his brain like a computer and suddenly, he found himself blurt out the answer.

"Three pi over ten…"

The teacher turned towards where the voice had come from and began talking before his answer could be fully processed.

"No, first we have to…" then it hit him, "Wait…What did you say?"

"The answer…" said Blake as he looked back up at the board, "Three pi over ten. Isn't that it?"

The flabbergasted teacher looked down at the answer key and then looked back at the young man with a bewildered look.

"Why yes but…How did you know?"

Everybody turned to face him and Blake couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable. Even Pietro looked shocked.

"I just…Know math," he said simply.

As everybody else was trying to digest this intriguing development, Kurt and Rogue…Who had chosen to sit in the back a safe distance from the Maximoff twins and everybody else…Turned towards each other as they took in the sight of the young man that their eyes had not seen before.

"Rogue…Have you ever seen that guy here before?" asked Kurt under his breath.

"Nope…You?"

"Nein…" he responded, "I haven't seen him in this class until today. But who is he?"

"I don't know Kurt…But anybody who can solve THAT problem so quickly has to be more than human in my opinion."

* * *

After the awkwardness of first period, Blake had chosen to stay completely silent for the rest of the morning. His little escapade in math class had caused more of a stir than he wanted. Luckily, it was lunchtime now and it was nice to have a little break. Pietro had tried to ditch him several times throughout the day, making his task of keeping an eye on him and his sister all the more difficult. But luckily, Wanda seemed fairly comfortable around him and was in his opinion the easiest person to have a decent conversation with.

As he, Pietro, and Wanda got their lunches in the cafeteria, he followed them both outside towards a more secluded place under a tree where Freddy, Todd, and Lance already were. Usually, the cafeteria left more opportunities for people to start something with them since they were known mutants and the further they were away from the crowd, the better.

"Hey guys! Over here!" said Freddy as he sat before a tray piled with mounds of food.

Lance's lunch was more modest and Todd was busy jumping around the area trying to catch a rather elusive fly.

"Hey, how'd classes go?" asked Lance as Blake sat down in the grass next to him along with Wanda while Pietro chose to sit closer to the tree, away from the guy who just wouldn't keep his eye off of him for more than a second.

"Okay for the most part…" said Blake, choosing not to tell him about the math mishap.

Todd then jumped between them, still trying to catch the pesky fly and nearly stumbling over them in the process.

"Ow!" said Lance as he shoved Todd off him, "If you're gonna eat bugs…Do it where I can't see it Toad boy!"

"Sorry Lance…But this sucker's a tricky one!" he said as he continued to chase it.

"Ugh…" said Wanda as she turned away from Todd's little hunt and began eating her sandwich.

Blake couldn't help but laugh at some of Todd's antics. As much as everybody seemed to pick on him, he had to admit he was an interesting guy to be around. Ever since this day began, he had been making mental notes of everybody in the Brotherhood. He noted Freddy's overall tough guy, don't-mess-with-me nature that he probably developed from being shunned most of his life, but had already found he was friendly simply if you were friendly back. Lance, as bad a time as this was for him, was an okay guy and probably one of the most level headed members of the Brotherhood. He scoffs at certain ideas he doesn't find important, but he has a concept of right and wrong and as long hopefully more of that side to him will show as he gradually gets over young Kitty Pryde. Wanda had been one of the easiest parts to handle through all this thus far. Despite her distaste from her father, she was a genuinely nice person to be around and he was glad that she was starting to see him as more of a friend than just a body guard.

Pietro was still an issue though. As he looked over at the speed demon, he could tell that he wasn't going to earn his trust easily. He knew about his history here with the Brotherhood and he suspected that part of his attitude stems from it. Magneto had told him that Pietro had been betrayed many times in his life, mainly by him, and he was very untrusting as a result of that. But like it or not, he would have to work through such difficulties in order to do his job while Magneto and Mystique did theirs.

Suddenly, a loud yell that echoed from back towards the cafeteria interrupted Blake from his thoughts.

"Hey, leave me alone!" yelled a very angry Kitty Pryde as several jocks held her backpack high over her head so she couldn't reach it.

The rest of the Brotherhood saw this going on as well, but didn't look inclined to do much about it. Lance in particular was definitely distasteful at the sight of this. But it wasn't because of the fact that it was Kitty being picked on…It was the sight of Kurt beside her trying to protect her.

"Get away from her!" yelled Kurt as one of the football players shoved him away while focusing back on Kitty.

"Yeah…Make me mutie!" said one of the jocks, "Use your powers…I dare you! You'll be out of here so fast that not even that dorky Professor could get you back in!"

Blake saw as the two unfortunate mutant teens, whom he recognized as X-men from earlier, continued to struggle against them. It was a hard to watch and Blake didn't want to see any more of it. One of the things that Magneto had taught him was that ignorant people will often pick on those that they don't understand simply because they have the ability to do so and such actions often go unanswered. But for this…Blake didn't want to let this continue as he stood up.

"Hey, what are you doin' yo?" asked Todd.

"What do you think? I'm going to stop this…" he said sternly.

"Don't bother…" scoffed Lance, still not wanting to see his ex all buddy like with Kurt, "This kind of thing happens all the time. And if it's not towards them…It's towards us. This is high school dude…And we're mutants. It's simple logic."

"Yeah, don't try to be a hero…" said Pietro, not seeming to really care either way, "It never does any good in the long run."

"Well if you guys won't…Then I will," he said as he ignored their statements and began walking over towards the scene much to the Brotherhood's surprise.

Wanda was about to get up and follow him, but Lance then turned to her and shook his head…Knowing that the fewer people involved in this, the better. But still, Wanda and the others soon found themselves watching with intent as a rather angry looking Blake neared the taunting jocks.

"Keep away! Keep away! Keep away!" they taunted as Kitty grew increasingly frustrated and felt tempted to use the self defense skills she had learned from Logan to lay these assholes out.

Kurt was about to blow his lid and turn off his watch in a ploy to scare them away…When suddenly, a loud voice stopped him.

"Hey!" said Blake as he walked over towards them with a stern, imposing look of anger on his face, "Lay off…"

The four jocks turned to face the angry young man. At first they didn't look threatened, but as he got closer and his size became clearer…They did get somewhat nervous. The short blonde, dread lock hair and the tattoos that showed on his left arm made him look somewhat dangerous compared to the two other young mutants they had been picking on.

"Hey, mind your business pal!" said one of the jocks.

But the stern look didn't change on Blake's face as he walked up to the lead jock and looked down on him with intent.

"Don't make this any harder…" he said in a calm, yet stern tone, "Just leave them alone…Walk away. And it'll be over."

Kitty and Kurt looked back that the strange young man with bewilderment as he stood before the four jocks unafraid and undaunted. They both took a step back, feeling as though this could erupt into a fight at any moment.

"And just who are you?" said the lead jock, not threatened by his imposing appearance.

Suddenly, Blake's hand shot forwards and grabbed the ill mannered jock by the throat much to his shock as well as his friends and lifted him off the ground with great ease. The others were about to respond when suddenly, Blake's body began to glow a ruby red color…Prompting them to step back.

"A mutant…" answered Blake, "One who doesn't like seeing others being picked on. Now I'm not a violent guy…But if you don't apologize to them…I may reconsider that and make a special exception in this case."

Blake had no intention of causing bodily harm to the misguided youths, but he made it sound as though he would with a stern tone and all four jocks seemed to believe it…Just as Blake wanted to. He had to admit, this little technique that Mystique had taught him was working quite well. She was right when she described certain psychological traits that people who persecute share.

"You know you're going to get in trouble for this!" struggled the jock still in Blake's firm grip while the others watched with anxiety.

"I got news for you," said Blake with a grin, "I'm not a student…I'm a bodyguard. And even if I was…Does it look like I'm worried about that?"

Neither of the jocks responded as looks of fear replaced looks of doubt. Both Kurt and Kitty watched with amazement at how this stranger handled himself. Seeing that strange body glow trick that he pulled hinted that he was a mutant…But if he was, why hadn't they ever seen him before?

"Now are you going to apologize and leave them alone?" asked Blake, as he squeezed a little tighter.

"Okay! Okay!" said the jock as he felt his strong grip.

Then, Blake simply dropped him on the ground as the three others ran away while he simply limped off with only his pride being the biggest injury. Blake then proceeded to pick up Kitty's backpack and hand it back to her as she and Kurt remained somewhat dazed at what they had just seen from this total stranger.

"Here you go…" said Blake.

"Uh…Thanks," she said, not knowing what else to say.

He turned to walk away, but Kurt quickly stopped him…For he felt the urge to know more. Such actions from anybody were not typical here at Bayville and he knew it.

"Vait…Who are you?" he asked, causing the young man to turn and face them once more.

Blake hesitated briefly, unsure of what to tell them. He couldn't get the X-men too involved, for Magneto had stipulated keeping them out of the conflict. Sinister was a personal problem…And he didn't want to bring the wrath of that madman on those who didn't deserve it and Blake knew all too well personally just how much Sinister could take.

"Blake Hellstrom…" he answered simply as he walked back over to a very surprised Brotherhood, not wanting to give any more information than he had to.

* * *

Back at the institute, Professor Xavier was in his study…Trying to use his work to help him forget his worries for Jean. He was intent on not sending her to a psychotherapist or a doctor…But he couldn't stand seeing her like so sad and distraught all the time. It had been a month since Scott's death and she was still unable to move on from it. While it had taken quite a while for him to accept it himself, it seemed all the harder for Jean…And he truly didn't want to see one of his children suffer. He had already lost one…He didn't want to lose anymore.

The tired, wheelchair bound man let out a sigh as he closed his book and rubbed the temples of his head. While Ororo had told him that Jean had made some progress, there was still a ways to go. He just hope nothing came along to exacerbate the situation.

"Professor?" said a voice from outside his closed door.

Upon recognizing the voice as belonging to Kitty, Xavier quickly snapped out of his state and responded.

"Come in Kitty…"

As the young girl walked in, she could tell from the look in his face he was still anxious about something. And knowing first hand how things had devolved around the mansion since Scott's death, she had a pretty good idea what it was.

"I just came to tell you…" she said, "Something came up at school that I thought you should know about."

"And what might that be?" he asked, sensing some anxiety coming from her mind.

"It's the Brotherhood…" said Kitty, "I know they haven't been caused any problems for months now…But today, we found out that they have a new member."

"A new member?" he said curiously, "That's strange…If there was another mutant at Bayville, Cerebro should have picked it up."

"You mean it didn't?" asked Kitty, now sounding somewhat perplexed.

"No…Not to my knowledge," said the Professor.

"But…I saw the guy," she said, "And so did Kurt. He said his name was Blake Hellstrom. He was hanging around the Brotherhood all day and we saw for ourselves that he was a mutant."

Professor Xavier's curiosity grew as he considered this development. A new mutant had come about in plain sight for everyone to see, his students included. But Cerebro kept a close watch on the area around Bayville, particularly the school. This was in large part to ensure the safety of his students and it didn't sound logical for something to slip under its scope of detection.

"Are you sure you didn't detect anything?" said Kitty.

"I'm certain Kitty…" said Xavier as he wheeled himself from behind his desk, "Thank you for reporting this to me. And I promise, I'll look into it. If the Brotherhood has a new mutant, I think it would be best to know who he is exactly…And why I couldn't detect him sooner."

* * *

AN: To be continued for now! Things are definitely getting more complicated now that Xavier and the X-men know Blake/Scott is with the Brotherhood! And from the looks of it, amnesia is still taking its toll. And don't forget about Sinister! He's still out there and he's still dangerous! Don't think this is over yet because there's still plenty to come! So what do you all think so far? Please tell me! Send me your reviews via email or post them on the fanfiction website! I'd love to know! Well, thanks for reading everybody and I wish you all the best!

THERE'S A BOTTON AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE! PRESS IT! REVIEW!


	13. Passing Daze

**Between Life and Death  
Chapter 13: Passing Daze**

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* * *

Before I begin, a quick word to the oh so kind people who took the time to review!

**Howlerdrode: **Yep, now that Blake has made himself known, the X-men are sure to get involved! But since they only know him as a member of the Brotherhood, curiosity may get the best of them and you know what, or who, that will lead to! Thanks for the review my friend! I appreciate it!  
**Simba317: **I'm glad I was able to brighten up your day just as much as your review has brightened up mine my friend! Showing the X-men's reactions in the last chapters just goes to show how rough it is dealing with death…Then again, there's only so much they know, more so, only so much Sinister has allowed them to know. Only Jean isn't accepting it…And for good reason. That will certainly come into play later, but for now there are a multitude of other issues to contend with concerning Sinister. Xavier could bite off more than he can chew by looking into it, but that remains to be seen. Thanks a ton for the wonderful review my friend! You know I always enjoy them! You totally rock! Peace out!  
**Doza: **Amnesia and mind wipe are different, but to Blake it's amnesia. Remember, he doesn't know the details so he's calling it what he can for now. But don't worry, things will evolve soon enough! And no, that fight didn't include Duncan. Remember, he graduated along with Scott and Jean and this fic takes place about a year after the final episode. And because of Blake's enhanced form, Cerebro can't detect him. It's kind of for the same reason he can't detect Magneto. As for your question about how long each chapter takes me, it depends. Sometimes it can take four hours and others can take up to ten, but I always try to keep with constant updates! So you can always be assured of that! Thanks a ton for the review my friend! I hope you continue to read and enjoy my story!  
**Diaz: **I'm honored you liked that chapter the most! It was really a major turning point because now the Brotherhood is involved. And the dreams aren't making it any easier for Scott/Blake and while his memories were wiped clean, his emotions were left intact and so was his link with Jean…Only he doesn't know the exact nature of what it is…Yet. As for how I came up with that name, I don't know how…It just came to me as ideas so often do. The emotions I portray take a lot of work, but I feel they're worth it in the end! As for Scott/Blake's condition, you'll just have to wait and see! Thank you so much for the awesome review! You rock my friend! Peace out!  
**Agent-G: **You're right, Blake was pushing it back there with what he did for Kurt and Kitty, but keep in mind the only reason he got where he is was Mystique and her influence. It's the only way he can fulfill his promise to her and Magneto, but Scott Summers still lurks within even if he doesn't know it. As for Sinister, just wait and see my friend! A psycho like that never rests! Thanks a ton for all the awesome reviews my friend! You rock dude! Peace!  
**Aniki19: **Glad to hear that you've read thus far and enjoyed my story! Sorry if the cliffhangers are hard, but it helps the story flow from event to event easier, plus it's easier to write. As for sequels, don't expect one from this fic…But there is always the possibility for spin offs! I hope you continue to read and enjoy my story and thank you very much for your kind review!

Also, a special thanks to: **Quillian, Sprocket, Jott Luuuver, X00001, Wen1, Rogue14, GothikStrawberry, Mark C, Sentoris, Ldypebsaby.**

**Also, I have a fic that I'm co-authoring with Agent-G called "Hellfire and Brimstone." It's got Jott, Romy, Wandurt, Kiotr, Loro, and plenty more! Please read and review it! Also, I have another ongoing fic on the adultfanfiction website, so if you want to, go to my profile and check that out as well! And don't forget to review!**

* * *

In the depths of Sinister's secret secondary laboratory, he and his Nasty Boys continued to work around the clock as they had for nearly a month now. The backup data that Sinister had saved from his old lab along with the know-how and experience he still had from years of working on the same clear goal allowed them to accelerate the pace of the construction of a new machine. While the one before took years to develop, it had proven successful in its first test. But Sinister knew that the only way to make this one work without going through all the years of careful adjustments and tweaks again…He would have to get his test subject back.

"Gorgeous…Set those feed in tubes up CAREFULLY!" bellowed Sinister, sounding more irked than usual, "They're heavy, but they aren't dumb bells."

With a grunt, the strong bodied mutant slowed the pace of setup down a bit so as not to make his boss any angrier than he already had been for the past month. While the rest of the Nasty Boys had to take breaks and sleep ever now and then, Sinister function nearly completely without it…His ambitions driving him beyond the need for mere rest.

"Vertigo! Install those computer boards slowly! They're very advanced and they aren't as easy to come by as you may think!" he ordered again, "And where's Ruckus? I thought I told him to get me those programs an hour ago!"

"This kind of thing takes time boss," said Vertigo as she carefully installed the advanced computer board that Sinister had designed himself, "We can only work so fast."

"Well it's not fast enough," grunted the mad scientist as he activated the proprietary program for the console, "The longer Magneto has my creation in his possession, the more dangerous he is! Because he has Blaze, he represents the only threat to my lifelong goal. And if we're going to make this machine work just as well as the last one did, we're going to have to get him back."

Just then, Psylocke and Emma entered the lair via elevator from the building above and Sinister quickly turned to them for an update.

"Did you two find anything?" he asked intently, not sounding as though he would tolerate anything less than success.

"No more than usual…" said Emma, roller her eyes at Sinister's impatient attitude, "But we did get these."

She then handed him some Polaroid pictures, which he quickly took. As soon as he saw them, a mixture of anger and hope fell over him. In them, numerous images of Blake and the rest of the Brotherhood at school and around the outside of their loosely guarded home showed a rather mundane, day-to-day existence. In each picture, he was not far from the Maximoff twins and he stood with them as if he were a part of them. It wasn't as bad as it could have been…But it wasn't a way how he wanted to see the fruit of his genius being put to use.

"That ignorant, bucket-brained fool," scoffed Sinister, "He's trying to use MY creation too protect his kids. He knew I was planning to go after them."

"Great…" said Betsy in a sarcastic tone, "So how do you want to handle him now?"

Sinister responded by crumpling the pictures in his hand. His eyes were now glowing with a brighter, more intent looking red color than before as he considered his next move.

"They have no idea what they've got in their possession…" mused Sinister, "A mutant of his power was never meant to be a part of the primitive masses that he was destined to help replace. And given his powers, he represents a grave threat to my goals. If his memory experiences a total relapse…I'll be the first one he'll come after."

"What's the matter Essex…Scared?" taunted Emma with a grin.

That remark simply earned her a rather large scorn from Sinister as he clenched his fists in anger at the complicated situation he faced. If he was going to succeed in this goal that he had worked a lifetime to accomplish…He was going to have to work through these difficulties whether he liked it or not.

"Don't ever even joke about that Emma!" he bellowed, "I am in absolutely no mood for either of your attitudes! You have plenty to lose if this all fails!"

Neither Betsy nor Emma said anything in response…Not wanting to make this unstable man any worse than he already was. As hard as this last month had been working for the irritable, volatile man they still wanted what he promised them. But the longer this went on…The more likely it seemed that such hassle wasn't fully worth it. At this point, however, they could do nothing but sigh and stand before the angry mad scientist and await his decision.

"Fine…Sorry," said Emma, hiding her frustration, "What do you want us to do next?"

As Sinister calmed down a bit he looked back over at the growing array of machinery that would be the second, and hopefully last, version of 'The Final Step.'

"Blake still has his emotions and will," said Sinister, "As long as he's not under my control…He's a threat. Although I wiped his memory clean, his emotions could trigger something…Which is why I wanted to get rid of them in the first place. And you must make sure that does NOT happen! If he shows any signs of regaining his memories, then we'll have to switch to my emergency plan. And should push come to shove…We may have to terminate him. But hopefully it doesn't come to that. For now, just keep watching him. If I'm going to get him back…I'll have to think of a way to make him vulnerable again. This could involve the Maximoff twins, but if Xavier at all comes into play…That will make things harder."

"And why is that?" asked Betsy curiously.

"That is something you don't need to know…" quipped Sinister, still not trusting her with certain 'information' that may further complicate his plans, "For now…Focus on the Maximoff twins and the rest of the Brotherhood. They may be our only way to get him back without having to go through his powers. And need I remind you…Keep Magneto and the shape shifter off your trail as well. Those fools have already fucked things up enough."

"Hey…If we can avoid them for a month, we can avoid them for even longer," said Emma.

"That's what you two said last time…" said Sinister in response, still sounding noticeable bitter about it, "DON'T let it happen again…Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal…" said the two women simultaneously, not choosing to comment any further on this matter.

"Good…Now why are you both still here then! Get back out there and get the job done!"

* * *

As the days passed since Blake's first day at Bayville with the Brotherhood, things between them got more comfortable. Despite the rocky start, they actually began considering him as one of them now and he had done a lot to earn his keep. While he did constantly stay around Wanda and Pietro, at least when he wasn't being difficult, he also took the time to teach some of the fighting techniques that Mystique had taught him over the past month. Todd, who had been hounded by bullies his whole life, embraced these teachings and took to them with more effort than he usually put into most challenges he was given. Lance, Freddy, and Wanda also took some time to learn as well…But Pietro remained stubborn, saying that he didn't need to learn his simple excuse for karate moves to fight someone off with his speed. Pietro may have remained defiant…But thankfully, Wanda managed to keep him in line for the most part.

Blake also became better friends with certain members than others. He had come to see Wanda as the easiest person to have a conversation with…As long as the subject of her father didn't come up. She may have been largely introverted at school and in most other instances, but around him and the Brotherhood she was more open. Todd was also someone Blake had grown fond of. His funny, joking nature was a good way to help relieve some of the constant stresses that plagued Blake's mind about Sinister and his lost memories. Talking to him was always a rather comical experience, but he enjoyed it none the less and found that he did have a decent personality that few bothered to learn about. And while it was no secret that Todd had a major crush on Wanda…Blake was beginning to get the sense that she may feel the same way.

Lance had also become a good friend after a few early rough patches. He was still bitter over Kitty, mainly because he kept seeing her with Kurt in the halls of Bayville. But he was slowly learning to ignore it and focus on other things. If Kitty didn't want to work with him to fix past problems…Then that was her loss. Lance also found Blake to be a far better leader compared to Pietro. He wasn't a jerk and he wasn't overbearing…It was as if he was by nature a leader. Either way it was a nice way for him to talk to somebody who didn't always give overly generic responses.

"Okay Blake…Lift it," said Lance as he and Blake stood outside in the warm weather in the driveway with his jeep.

Blake then used his powers to gain the energy to give his arms the strength to life the front end of the vehicle with ease. Lance had been wanting to do some major detailing on his old, busted up jeep for a while now and as long as he had someone there to help, he might as well take advantage of it. Normally, he would have gotten Fred to do something like this, but he was too easily distracted and tended to get impatient with Lance's meticulous work.

"So what repairs are you going to try today?" asked Blake as Lance slipped under the front end of the car with some tools and went to work.

"Today it's the suspension…Tomorrow it will probably be the breaks," said Lance as he began working through the dirt and grim of his jeep to make he necessary adjustment.

Blake kept it steady, letting Lance do his thing. Work like this was somewhat relaxing to Blake because it helped him forget about the lack of sleep he had been getting for over a week now. While he never showed it visibly, his face more or less gave him away and Lance knew it along with pretty much the rest of the Brotherhood.

"Still having troubles sleeping?" he asked as he grunted from his efforts to tighten a few bolts.

"Being a full time guardian to Wanda and Pietro doesn't give you a lot of time for that…" justified Blake, "Especially since Pietro hasn't been making it any easier on me."

"Yeah, there's a shocker…" laughed Lance as he reached in deeper to clear out some mud that had gotten deep under his axles, "I'm surprised you still bother with Pietro. He's been pretty messed up by the past few years…Especially since Wanda came back."

"He'll come around, I'm sure," said Blake, trying to sound optimistic when he knew full well just how stubborn Pietro truly was.

"Yeah…But don't expect it to happen anytime soon," warned Lance, "I know the guy and I know Wanda. Pietro may be cocky, but he doesn't joke around when it comes to his father or his sister. He can be a jerk half the time, but he's serious when it comes to somebody who he considers a 'threat.'"

"Well I thought I've shown to him by now that I'm not one…I'm just here looking out for him and his sister."

"I don't doubt that Blake, but consider this…" continued Lance as he tightened a few bolts, "You still work for Magneto and Pietro hates him with a passion now…And he has ever since Apocalypse. It's one of the reasons why he's still not too friendly with Mystique even though the rest of us have come around."

As Blake thought about his situation, he couldn't help but sigh at the dilemma. Magneto had saved his life and he had come to respect him and Mystique for all that they did for him. He knew just as well as Pietro probably did that Apocalypse was a big turning point for them. It had forcefully imposed a new sense of clarity for the both of them, but it didn't erase the complications they had caused. Ever since Magneto had revealed to Wanda the truth about the insane asylum, both she and Pietro didn't want anything to do with him. And because he had gotten involved with the whole Sinister fiasco, it was taking away vital time he needed to make things right with his kids. He had tried to alleviate some of this himself by telling Wanda what Magneto did for him and what he learned about his choices…But she still found it hard to believe. The scars from the asylum and Pietro's scars from betrayal still hung strong and it didn't seem like there was an easy way to fix it.

"You think they'll ever forgive their father?" asked Blake, breaking the silence as Lance continued his work.

"I don't know…" replied the young man as he switched to a different tool, "But personally…I hope they do. They have no idea how lucky they are to at least have a father to begin with…One who's actually willing to say he's sorry."

"I know how that feels…" said Blake, "But maybe after all this is over, things will change."

"Either way doesn't bother me," said Lance as he made one final adjustment and got out from under the jeep, allowing Blake to casually set it down, "As long as Pietro is still in this asshole phase he's stuck in, I don't see how it can happen."

"I know, that's why I'm trying to break him out of it," said Blake, "But like you said…He's rather difficult to deal with."

"Maybe you should just stop worrying about him for now and focus more on someone who actually wants help," he suggested, "Wanda seems to like you okay."

"It's tempting…But I just can't do that," said Blake as he shook his head, "I promised Magneto I'd look after BOTH of them."

"Well Pietro's a big boy. He can take care of himself," said Lance as he wiped his hands on a rag.

"Not against this threat…" he muttered under his breath.

Knowing Blake probably wasn't going to tell him anything more, he decided simply pack his tools up and get some lunch.

"Whatever man," he said as he started to head back inside, "Just try not to lose too much sleep over it…Then again, it looks like you already have."

"Yeah…I guess so," said Blake with a laugh, although it was far more complicated than that.

As Lance went in, Blake chose to linger for a while longer in the calm, sunny outdoors. While his body was very strong and very adaptive, sleep remained one of his most troubling tasks. Every night…He kept having the same strange dreams. There were no variations…No misinterpretations…It was always the same dream. There were times when it was clearer and times when it was went on longer than usual…But it was still the same dream.

In his dreams, he still felt the choking confinement of being in stuck in a fiery building with no way out…While feeling in vivid detail the agonizing sting of a mysterious blast that sent him into this strange, green liquid that started glowing and making every cell in his body feel as though it was on fire. But the one thing that stood out more than anything else in his dreams…Were the screams. Whenever he let his mind simply wander…He remembered those screams…Those agonizing cries of pain that sounding strangely familiar to him. And whenever he heard them…He felt this strange sensation in the depths of his mind…As if something was there that he could not fully comprehend. It was almost as if he was…Connected to something outside his mind.

It got to the point where he pretty much gave up trying to get a decent night's sleep and merely rested his body before carefully watching over the others as they slept. Wanda had told him about her nightmares from the asylum…But many of those dreams didn't come with the same level of complexity that his did. As painful as Wanda's nightmares were…There was just something about Blake's dreams that set them apart in terms of feeling. He hoped that somehow it was linked to the memories that Sinister had taken away from him…And maybe as time went on, these dreams would reveal more. But the longer they lasted, the more painful they got…And part of him was uncertain if he even wanted to bother remembering something that was so painful to him.

It remained a constant inner struggle for him, but he tried to push it aside by focusing more on the task at hand and the job he had to do with protecting and leading the Brotherhood. Not wanting to let his dreams paralyzing him, he decided to head in and check on the others. Both Freddy and Todd were playing a video game and Wanda was already eating lunch with Pietro. Blake didn't feel hungry, but he did hope to keep things simple for this easy Saturday without the worries of watching over them at school.

But all his hopes were abruptly halted when the phone in the kitchen suddenly rang.

"I'll get it…" said Blake, as he went into the other room to take the call, "Hello?"

"Blake…It's me, Mystique," said the shape shifter over the other line.

"Mystique?" replied the young man, noticeably surprised, "What's going on? Did something happen?"

"No…Not yet," said Mystique, "I'm just calling to tell you that Eric, the Acolytes, and I have been tracking leads and I just found out that Sinister has a couple of his Nasty Boys out scouring Bayville for some reason."

"Are they out to steal equipment?" asked Blake.

"No…If they wanted to do that, they would be doing it at night…And I've been seeing them around the clock," said Mystique, "They're out for something else."

"Something else? What do you think it is?" said Blake.

"I'm not sure, but they're definitely planning something," said the shape shifter, "I can feel it. Eric and I have been trying our best to track down the source of all this trouble, but Sinister has definitely become more cautious since our last encounter."

"So what can I do to help?" asked Blake, feeling the bitterness over the personal stake he still had with Sinister coming on strong.

"For all we know, you could be the target," answered Mystique, "So just leave the major searching to us. Until then, step your guard up over the Brotherhood…Especially the Maximoff twins."

Blake let out a troubled sigh as he heard his task, for the issue over Pietro was still not getting any better for him. And the prospect of sitting out on a fight he felt so strongly connected to wasn't a very appealing notion to the young man whom Sinister had taken so much from.

"I'll do my best…But Pietro is still proving to be stubborn," said Blake after a brief pause, "But the rest of the Brotherhood seems to trust me to some extent now."

"I had a feeling Pietro would be trouble…" said Mystique over the line, knowing from personal experience how truly stubborn he could be, "But as long as you have the rest of the Brotherhood on your side, you should be able to compensate. Eric and I will try to make something happen or find more data, but don't expect too much. Just be ready for anything."

"Don't worry…" assured Blake, "I promise you I will."

"Thanks Blake…Oh, and tell Wanda I said hi."

And with that, Mystique hung up the phone and returned to her tireless search while Blake was left holding the phone in a momentary daze. He knew Sinister was still out there…That much he could be certain of. But his intentions remained as dark and mysterious as ever. Last time he was able to carry them out…He ended up with no memory and many unanswered questions. Part of him wanted to be out there so badly…Searching and tracking Sinister down himself to pay him back personally for all the pain he's caused…But he had a job to do here and a promise to keep.

"Was that Mystique?" asked Wanda as she saw the dazed look on Blake's face.

Feeling slightly startled Blake put the phone back on the hook and turned back towards the young woman he was going to have to watch even closer now that things with this conflict had taken a turn for the worse.

"Yeah…She just called to give me an update," replied Blake, not saying much more.

"And what did she say?" asked the Scarlet Witch, feeling just as curious as everybody else was over this strange conflict that they knew so little about.

"It's still on…" said Blake cryptically, "So that means I'm still out to guard you and your brother. That's all I can tell you though."

"Yeah…I figured," said Wanda, looking somewhat frustrated at the lack of details as she turned to leave the room over towards the living room.

Blake felt tempted to tell her and the rest of the Brotherhood the truth, for he felt they at least deserved to know the trouble they were in. But ever time he thought about that, he remembered what Magneto had specifically told him about that. Above all else, Eric didn't want his kids to get involved in this conflict that he had started many years earlier. And after what he did to his memories, Blake couldn't blame him. He only hoped that once this whole thing was over, he would have some answers. His dreams were still plagued by the same images and his mind was left with the same void. And even if he had to fight through ever obstacle Sinister had in his vast arsenal…He was determined to remember just who he was.

"Oh and Wanda…" said Blake, causing the young woman to turn back to face him, "Mystique says hi…"

* * *

Back at the Xavier Institute, the Professor had been busying himself with the seemingly simple task of finding all he could on the Brotherhood's latest member for nearly a week since it was first reported to him. While it wasn't something that normally would have required all that much effort, he had encountered some aspects of it that were…Strange. It wasn't simply the fact that he hadn't picked up this new member on Cerebro, knowing full well that if Mystique, Magneto, and the Acolytes could beat it than it certainly wasn't out of the realm of possibility that this new mutant could do just the same.

Not only that, but this new development offered a rather welcome distraction from some of the difficulties that still lingered as a result of Scott's death. He was still having to consider the grim possibility of sending Jean to a psychotherapist since she didn't appear to be getting much better. He had already called Moria McTaggart on Muir Island, who had experience in cases like this, and informed her on the grim situation. However, he wanted to do all he could to keep Jean away from doctors that would force her to talk about things she was still dealing with. She wasn't sick…She was just in pain over the loss of someone she truly loved. But while everybody else was steadily accepting Scott's death, something kept Jean from reaching this point…Almost as if her mind wouldn't let her believe that Scott was gone forever. He had tried his hardest, but it was still bringing little, if any, results.

For the most part Ororo, Logan, and Hank had watched over the students and kept things under control while Xavier kept himself occupied. Some students were still learning to cope, but the adults in charge gave them someone to talk to. It was by no means easy and the effects of Scott's death throughout the institute could still be observed, but the wounds were slowly beginning to mend themselves. Time was still needed for some, but the Professor was confident that the X-men would persevere despite the lingering effects of such a tragic loss.

"Still at it I see…" said Hank as he walked into the room housing Cerebro, holding a tray of sandwiches and tea.

Turning to face his friend, Xavier let out a tired sigh. He had lost track of time once again in the midst of his work. Distracting himself from the issues that were still at hand were taking a toll on his already mangled body and Hank could clearly see it.

"It's not as easy as I thought it would be Hank," said Xavier as he wheeled himself out of Cerebro and took a brief rest, "This new member of the Brotherhood that my students have been telling me about isn't showing up at all on Cerebro. I've been trying to work around it for hours but…I can't seem to get any more information than my students already know."

"Well considering that it is the Brotherhood," said Hank, "It is only logical not to assume anything as being too simple."

"I know…But the Brotherhood has been very quiet ever since the Apocalypse incident," mused Xavier, feeling that there was just something about this that didn't add up, "They haven't picked any fights with the X-men, they've actually returned to school thanks to Mystique, and they've been doing fairly well for the most part. But now something like this comes along and I truly don't know what to make of it."

"Have you tried contacting them?" asked Hank as he poured a cup of tea for the both of them.

"No, but I have sent Logan on several scouting runs of the Brotherhood boarding house and he says that they don't seem to be posing any kind of threat to anybody. They house has long since been fixed up and they don't seem to be preparing for any major action."

"And what of this new recruit of theirs?" inquired Hank, "Mr. Blake Hellstrom if memory serves me right."

"That's the curious part that's had me cooped up down here for so long old friend," said Xavier as he took a sip of his tea, "I've searched countless public archives, but I can find absolutely no information on him…No birth certificate, no records of parents or guardians, not even records of him at other schools. I'm not sure if it was erased or was never even there to begin with."

"So what do you think that could mean?" asked Hank, "If you can't detect him, then it's logical to assume that he could be hiding something. If there are no records of him, then it's also plausible that there may be a darker motive behind this…As if there's something about him that would not exactly be favorable knowledge to the rest of the curious masses."

"You have a knack for summarizing big issues into small packages old friend…" said Xavier as he let out another tired sigh, "But right now, I'm in the process of upgrading Cerebro. It's been too long since I last boosted its power and maybe once they're complete, I'll be able to find some answers about this rather perplexing mystery. And in the mean time, the students will just have to keep tabs on him."

"Do you think he could be a threat Charles?" asked Hank.

The Professor stopped and thought about that for a brief moment as he considered what he knew. Whoever this Blake Hellstrom was, he seemed rather unconcerned with the X-men and starting fights. In fact, Kitty and Kurt had already told him how he had managed to break up a fight between them and some of the many bullies that taunted them in the halls of Bayville. And if he wasn't there to fight, then why was he recruited? What was Mystique planning? Did Magneto have a hand in it at all?

Since Apocalypse, Mystique and Magneto hadn't caused any problems with them at all. They hadn't shown any level of malevolence towards them and they had nearly severed all contact with him so he had no way of knowing if this was even their doing. What made things stranger was how the students, namely Kurt, Kitty, and Rogue who kept an eye on the Brotherhood all the time for the most part, was the knowledge that this young man had so quickly become the Brotherhood's new leader and never seemed to leave the group. They told him how Blake wasn't enrolled in any of the classes and was simply said to be some sort of body guard for the Maximoff twins mainly. But if this was true…Then what exactly was he guarding them from?

"I honestly don't know Hank," said Xavier, feeling somewhat at a loss, "I've been at this off and on for a while now and the only information I have is the information that my students give me. Yet from what they've told me…Neither Blake nor the Brotherhood presents the real threat. But somehow…I get the feeling that Blake's sudden, mysterious presence is implying something and at the moment I am not sure what exactly it is, but I intend to find out."

"Do you think we should step up danger room sessions a bit?" inquired Hank, "After nearly a month of inactivity, it's safe to say that they may be a little rusty. And should push come to shove, it couldn't hurt to be ready."

"That's a good idea Hank," said Xavier, although he hoped that this development wouldn't lead to any such conflict, "It never hurts to be prepared and expect the unexpected. Because for all we know, this whole thing could be a mere distraction from something much more sinister."

* * *

Friday night had fallen over the institute after another hard week of school. The sudden appearance of a new member of the Brotherhood had caused quite a stir among the students and had sparked a new string of gossip around the institute. There were rumors that he was some old gang member that was brought in for protection or he was some body guard hired by Magneto to keep them all in check…But as with most rumors, these claims remained unsubstantiated.

The ones that remained most curious about this new Brotherhood member were the very ones who had first become aware of him at school. Kurt, Kitty, and Rogue had been watching him all week, almost completely setting aside their classes at some points just to learn more. It was a curious development since the Brotherhood had been so quiet for so many months. Then, out of nowhere, a new member of the Brotherhood comes and hangs around them like a hawk, keeping track of anybody who looks at them. They knew he wasn't a student since he didn't participate in the classes like the others did. Instead, he seemed like a body guard…Protecting them against something almost as though it could pop up at any moment and attack. But now that it was the weekend, the institute residents were left with nothing more than speculation about what this new development could mean.

For Jean Grey, the news from Bayville and the Brotherhood didn't spark her interests too much. She was still having a great deal of difficulty sleeping and paying attention what classes she managed to attend at college. But such actions seemed futile for her because no matter how hard she tried to return to a sense of normalcy, a part of her mind kept pestering her to no end about Scott's death. It was so bad at some points that it nearly reduced her to tears every time she thought about it. On top of that, she wasn't getting any sleep either. Nightmares still plagued her…Nightmares that went beyond simply reliving the tragedy and extended to something else that she struggled to ascertain. Whenever she fell asleep…She would see the horrible images of Scott being consumed by flame and imprisoned in this strange liquid cell with the leering, sinister red eyes looking over him and laughing with a sense of darkness that sent the coldest of shivers up and down her spine.

There were few variations in her dreams. Whenever she had them, they were more or less the same dreams. The only difference that ever really took place was the overall length of the dream. And the longer it lasted, the more painful it got. Jean had tried to find the strength to see the whole dream through…But ever time, she was jolted out of her state by the paralyzing pain and fear that came along with such horrible images. Jean was beginning to think that maybe she was going crazy…That Scott had truly taken a part of her sanity to the grave with him. But these dreams just felt so real…They felt as though they had a deeper meaning that she was trying so hard to decipher. But no matter how hard she tried, they only brought her pain and confusion instead of clarity.

It was getting late now and much of the institute was falling silent. It was past midnight on a Friday night and while others were beginning to succumb to the exhaustion of the stress this week had caused, Jean Grey stayed wide awake. She didn't want to go to sleep tonight, for she knew what it would bring. She no longer felt she had the strength to handle the vivid nightmares. They caused her too much pain and brought too much sorrow to her and her already shattered heart. She knew that the Professor and the rest of the adults were considering sending her to a psychotherapist…And she knew that it was very possible that she could indeed be crazy. But that little voice in the back of her mind that just wouldn't let her get over Scott's death kept giving off this feeling that there was a reason as to why she felt this way. This annoying, pestilent voice kept her mind in a state of confusion and sorrow…Never allowing her to move on and accept what everybody else already had.

As she sat in the darkness on her bed, hugging her knees for a sense of comfort. She was wide awake as she watched the minutes on the clock tick by at an ever slower pace. She had already been forced to keep herself from falling asleep on several occasions, but the longer she went on the worse it got and if she stayed like this in her room for much longer, she would surly pass out. Days of sleeplessness were catching up with her as she once again felt a sense of drowsiness come over her.

'No…' she thought, mentally slapping herself back to consciousness, 'Don't give in…Don't fall asleep.'

It was getting to be a losing battle for her. She was tired, but she didn't want to sleep. Her body and her mind were now in an epic struggle for dominance and either way, it seemed like a lose-lose situation for her. If she fell asleep, she would feel the pain of the nightmare and if she stayed awake, she would remain paralyzed by this sense of overwhelming physical and emotional exhaustion.

With a defeated sigh, Jean decided it would be best if she did something to distract herself from thinking about all her problems. Although still somewhat drowsy, she got up from her bed and threw on a change of clothes. She was careful to be as quiet as possible as she walked through the darkened mansion down towards the garage. Then…Upon entering, her eyes came across Scott's shining red car.

She then found her hands along the well maintained body of the car that Scott had so adamantly taken care of. There were quite a few memories with him that Jean associated with this car…Times like when they were stranded with in after the others tricked them so they could have a party, when they went out on their first date, and a few other more intimate moments that she always treasured. Although it was hard to think about them now, for some reason…Jean found herself driving away in Scott's car instead of hers. Logan had kept it looking clean, maintaining it almost compulsively just as Scott had. The sound of the engine and the smell of the interior brought forth more memories…Which in turn brought tears to her eyes that the brisk wind blew away as she drove out of the institute and on to the road.

She had no destination in mind and there was no traffic to deal with. For Jean…She just wanted to get away from it all…To find some time outside the gloom that had hung over her since Scott's death. Why couldn't she accept it? He was gone and never coming back…Yet part of her mind just wouldn't process that. Maybe by driving Scott's car around the scarcely populated roads, she would leave behind some of that turmoil…But no matter how fast she drove or where she went, it just seemed to follow her.

In a way, the young redhead managed to take some comfort in the night as the wind blew through her long red hair. It helped distract her and keep herself from asking the questions she knew she wouldn't be able to answer. In addition, the car seemed to encapsulate a part of Scott's spirit…And driving it was almost like reconnecting with that spirit in a way that went beyond traditional explanation. Jean found herself driving down all the old roads that she and Scott had come to know so well since joining the institute. She drove around the outskirts of the city, taking in the view of the eerie glow of the lights in the distance. She drove along the back roads past lookout point where she remembered her and Scott sharing a few tender moments that she always treasured. As time began to pass in a surreal daze, she found herself passing Bayville High where she and Scott walked the halls together with the others, living day to day balancing the life of a traditional high school student and the life of a team of super powered mutants. Now that she looked back on it, those times seemed so much more meaningful because they were the times that had helped her, Scott, and everybody else at the institute grow and evolve into their own person. They had learned many things about how to cope with their hectic lives back in the walls of that school and they had lived through quite a few tribulations. But now that Scott was gone…All she had left of him were these strong memories that had helped her grow into the person she was.

Driving past the school, Jean found herself seeking the cleaner air of the back roads and slowly made her way off of the city streets and back towards the quieter, more picturesque landscape that made upstate New York so beautiful. She had been out for a while now and she actually did feel a little better getting some fresh air into her system. However she knew she would have to eventually go back and contend with the hard day to day life without her soul mate by her side. Jean didn't want to face the issue of being sent to a psychotherapist…She didn't want to have to deal with the scrutiny of some of the students that had unsuccessfully tried to make her feel a little better. But even though she knew she would have to face this sooner or later, this meaningful little detour had helped her remember some of the better times before this horrible tragedy had happened. It was hard not thinking about how Scott had died, but Jean never wanted to stop thinking about how he had lived.

As Jean began to head back to the institute, she soon found herself passing the darkened Brotherhood boarding house. However, as she drove a little closer, she noticed that while the rest of the house seemed completely asleep…There remained one window where the lights were still on and the soft glow stood out over the seemingly ubiquitous darkness. Suddenly…Jean found herself stop the car and simply watched the flickering light in the window. She wasn't sure why she was drawn to it…Maybe because it seemed odd that someone else would be up like her at an hour like this.

The engine of the car still gently hummed as Jean stood in a trance at the image of the window in the darkened outcrop of the Brotherhood boarding house. The whole area looked different compared to the last time she had seen it nearly a year ago. It had definitely been fixed up a bit. While neither she nor the rest of the X-men had bothered them after the Apocalypse incident, they still existed and they were still a part of the mutant population that they all stood for. But Jean's mind didn't seem focused on such and issue as she remained stuck in a daze at the sight before her.

Suddenly, a figure passed in front of the window and his attention was equally drawn to the sight outside. It was Blake…Another troubled soul that had found no comfort in sleep. He looked to be the only one up and now stood before his window wearing a simple pair of sleeping pants and no shirt. Jean somewhat tensed as their gazes met, but she didn't stop looking…Something seemed to be keeping her from doing so. Blake opened his window to get a clearer view of the stranger that was now parked along the road…Simply staring motionlessly back at him. With the obstruction of the glass out of the way, Blake got a clearer view of the young redhead sitting nearly motionlessly in a very nice red convertible that he couldn't help but find appealing. She looked at him…And he just kept looking back. Neither of them said anything or thought anything for that matter…For neither of them knew what to think or say.

It was unclear how much time passed for the both of them as they stood stuck in a daze…Unclear of why this was happening. But they didn't sense anything threatening about this moment…If anything, it was strangely comforting. Not knowing what else to do…Blake soon found himself simply waving back at the young redhead. Jean didn't know how to respond…But she managed to give him a similar gesture, acknowledging that she had accepted his sentiment and was thankful for it.

Then suddenly…A strange feeling shot through Jean's mind. Out of nowhere…The images of her nightmare suddenly returned to her…This time more vivid and clear than ever. The image of Scott being hit by a powerful force and being stuck in a strange, liquid filled prison was supplemented by clearer, more vivid images she hadn't seen before. In them…Scott wasn't crushed by the building, some strange blinding light hit him. And this time…The haunting laughter was accompanied with a horrifying demonic face. Jean felt the strain of the images on her mind becoming greater than ever before.

She started hyperventilating and quickly tore her gaze away from the stranger, but Blake still kept looking back at her…Now fixated on her sudden change in demeanor. He felt strangely drawn to the sight of the girl in the car…Almost as if she was telling him something without even speaking to him. In seeing her, a strange feeling that Blake could not explain or even fully grasp for that matter came over him.

'Who is she?' he thought as he saw her look all the more troubled, 'Why is she here? Why is she looking at me? And moreover…Why am I looking back?'

He kept pondering those questions as Jean took deep breaths to collect herself. She still felt the young man's eyes upon him, but she couldn't even focus herself long enough anymore to look back. She hadn't even been asleep…Yet she had felt her nightmares as vividly as ever. And this time…There were even more details that she hadn't seen before. Blake Hellstrom kept looking back at her, but Jean didn't linger…For she wanted to get away from this pain, not make it worse. And while she still felt the lone stranger's eyes upon her…She managed to set aside her dreams and drive off back into the night.

* * *

AN: I'll leave it there for now! It's pretty messed up now don't you think? Jean doesn't know that Blake is Scott…And even Blake doesn't know that he's Scott! It's crazy! And it's clear now that Sinister hasn't given up and he's still out to get his precious test subject and now the only allies that seem to be predicated on stopping him are Magento, Mystique, and the Acolytes! I know it's a tangled web of events, but there's still more to come my friends! Thing are starting to heat up and you won't want to miss where I take it next! And I must remind you all…REVIEW! Send them to me via email or post them on the fanfiction website! Thank you all very much for reading and I wish you all the best!

KEEP SCROLLING DOWN! CLICK THE BUTTON AND REVIEW!


	14. Gaining The Upper Hand

**Between Life and Death  
Chapter 14: Gaining The Upper Hand**

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Hey everybody! You know the routine! A quick word the my wonderful reviewers!

**Howlerdrode: **No, I don't think I'm related to Hitchcock…To my knowledge that is. But I'm honored that you hold me to such high status! And the suspense will continue for both Jean and Blake in the coming chapters, so be prepared to face more my friend! Thanks a ton for the awesome review! Peace out!  
**Sprocket: **I'm honored the last chapter was your favorite. It was a very pivotal point in many ways with Blake and Jean finally meeting and Professor Xavier delving further into the issue of Blake's purpose. There's still plenty more to come and I hope I can continue to hold your interest my friend! Thanks a bunch! Peace out!  
**GothikStrawberry: **Well, Sinister is a creepy guy to say the least. Who wouldn't be with a body and mind like that? Emma and Betsy are starting to see that, but there isn't much they can do at this point without risking being added to Sinister's list of enemies. And I thought it would be good for Blake to form a close relationship with some of the Brotherhood member, like Lance. Such aspects will come into play later on, so stay tuned my friend and thank you very much for the awesome review!  
**Agent-G: **I know you don't like Todd/Wanda, but I thought I might as well work it in for the sake of a little extra spice. I'm no big fan of them either, but I'll tolerate it for this fic. As for Mystique's kids, keep in mind that Sinister is intent on not bringing in Xavier just yet…For he has enough to worry about with Magneto. As for Blake and Jean, it's just the beginning my friend! Wait and see for yourself what comes of their encounter and believe me, it'll come into play later! Thanks a ton for the review my friend! You rock!  
**Simba317: **Ah one of the most rewarding reviews from a great reviewer! I know there's no love lost on Sinister with his actions in this fic or "Hellfire and Brimstone," but he's a true madman capable of anything, so he'll make his determination to succeed in his ultimate goals. And now that Jean and Blake have met each other, the suspense can only grow as the one part of them that didn't die in that explosion makes itself more known. It's a chaotic situation and chaotic situations often lead to chaos, so don't think it's over just yet! Thanks as always for the wonderful review! You rock my friend! Peace out!  
**Sentoris: **Yeah, Sinister's a resourceful guy and you can count on him making it hard for Blake, Jean, and everybody else. And as for Scott/Blake's new powers, you'll see them in action soon enough my friend and I hope you like what I have planned! Thank you so much for all the wonderful words you've given me with this story and in general. I can't tell you how much it means to me! You rock man! Peace out!

Also, a special thanks to: **Quillian, Rogue14, Doza, Jott Luuuver, X00001, Aaron, Mark C, Jenskott, Jingeling, Ldypebsaby.**

**Also, I have a fic that I'm co-authoring with Agent-G called "Hellfire and Brimstone." It's got Jott, Romy, Wandurt, Kiotr, Loro, and plenty more! Please read and review it! Also, I have another ongoing fic on the adultfanfiction website, so if you want to, go to my profile and check that out as well! And don't forget to review!**

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Blake didn't get a whole lot of sleep after the incident with the mysterious young woman that had parked outside the boarding house at two in the morning the previous night. Granted he had been a very light sleeper since he woke up from his coma, but what happened last night was something a bit more…Complicated than he was capable of explaining. In seeing her, he got this weird feeling deep inside of him…As if there was something in his mind that went beyond erased memories. Practically ever part of him had told him that he had never seen that girl before…But parts of him that he couldn't explain said otherwise.

It was Sunday morning and he was the first one up like usual. Although he had only been here for a week, he did manage to work out somewhat of a routine. The first thing he did every morning was make a quick check of everybody and ensure that they were safely in their rooms while usually double checking the Maximoff twins. He then took a short shower, but today…He stayed in for a bit longer than he usually did. The hot water of the shower had somewhat of a relaxing effect on the young man, allowing his mind to slow down somewhat and take a break from the hectic day to day existence of protecting the Brotherhood.

While it had become easier since the first day and he was actually getting the feeling that they were beginning to accept him more as a friend rather than just some minion of Mystique and Magneto, some parts remained complicated…Namely Pietro. He remained cocky and arrogant like always, never really listening or heeding his warning without Wanda having to hex him several times. He was still trying to think of a way to earn the speed demon's trust so that he could protect him like he knew Magneto so desperately wanted to, but after a long life of betrayal and isolation…Pietro Maximoff was not one to lend his trust easily.

As Blake turned off the water and stepped out into the steam filled bathroom, he grabbed a towel and began drying himself off. As he did this, his gaze shifted towards his reflection in the mirror. With his hand, he rubbed away the condensation and looked over his body. His tall, muscular stature was a mixture of familiarity and unfamiliarity…As if he was looking at something he had seen before, yet was still alien to him. Slowly, he followed along the elaborate tattoos on his torso, leading up to his arm. He had hoped early on that they would somehow offer clues to his past, but every time he looked at them he never saw anything more than just elaborate patterns that were for nothing more than aesthetics. Even his short blonde dreadlock hairstyle seemed to give him the same feeling. It was a confusing quandary to his normally sharp mind that could be so easily focused when it came to absorbing knowledge, yet so utterly useless when it came to remembering his past.

Blake tried to push those confusing thoughts off to side as he forced himself to get back to his duties. Maybe after this whole conflict with Sinister was resolved, he would be able to wake up from this strange dream-like feeling that he lived in every single day as if it were punishment for something he did in another life. As he busied himself with making some breakfast for the others, he wondered if it was even possible to 'wake up' in a sense. Having lost memories was a unique feeling in of itself…A feeling no one else could truly understand. The huge gap in his mind was almost like a festering scar to him…One which brought only confusion and pain to him every time he tried to go in and find what Sinister took away from him.

As he continued cooking, he was brought out of his dazed stupor by the second lightest sleeper of the Brotherhood, Wanda Maximoff.

"Don't you look rested…" she said with sarcasm as she entered the kitchen, "Did you sleep at all last night?"

"A little…" said Blake with a sigh.

"Bullshit," scoffed Wanda, "You didn't sleep at all…Believe me, I know the signs."

Speaking from her experience with nightmares in the insane asylum, Blake didn't doubt her when she said that. Wanda was probably his closest friend here at the Brotherhood because she could understand somewhat better what it felt like to have memories be warped. But unlike Blake, she had all her old memories back…And as bad as they were, at least she still knew who she was and where she came from.

"Well, you'd be right about that…" said Blake, knowing he wasn't much of a liar, "I couldn't sleep last night. Something…Kept me awake."

"Nightmares?" she guessed, thinking it to be one of the most plausible cause.

"No…Not really," said Blake.

"Then what?" she asked.

Blake briefly considered telling her about the redheaded girl that had passed by the institute last night. But at the moment he was still too confused about it to reveal much of anything about what had happened. In a way, part of his brain was still trying to process it…And even though it seemed somewhat mundane from an objective point of view, Blake felt it meant something…Something important that he could not yet ascertain.

"Just…Restlessness I guess," he finally answered, "It's been a long week Wanda. I've been trying and trying, but I still can't get Pietro to trust me and I guess it's kind of taking a toll on me."

"Well you shouldn't beat yourself up about that," said Wanda, not feeling fully convinced, but never the less satisfied with his answer, "Pietro doesn't really trust anybody."

"He trusts you…" argued Blake.

"That's because I'm his twin sister and because I can hex him into a world of pain if he give me too much shit," replied Wanda, evoking somewhat of a laugh from Blake.

"Well as bad as his shit can be, I still prefer to have him trust me on his terms rather than mine," said Blake as he finished cooking up his scrambled eggs, "Because if I'm going to protect him, I'll need his trust."

"I know…But just don't expect too much from him," said Wanda, "I know him best and there are just some things he won't allow himself to yield to after all the betrayal he's faced. Its part of the reason why he's so cocky and doesn't think he needs anyone."

"Yeah, I figured that," said Blake as he sat down at the table and split his serving of eggs in two so that Wanda could have some, "I guess I'll just have to have faith that this whole conflict will end before anything major happens. My mind still won't stop torturing me with the huge gap of memories that I can't seem to get back no matter how hard I probe."

The deep sound of frustration in his voice seemed somewhat more intense today from Wanda's perspective, but she chalked that up to lack of sleep, knowing full well how it could affect one's mood. But to Blake…It was more than just his innate sleepiness…A lot more. Not having his memories, not succeeding in gaining the trust of someone he had promised to protect, and the strange incident with the girl last night had brought undo strain on his mind. With each passing day, it seemed like it was only getting worse for him and it looked as though there was no end in sight.

"Well try not to think about that today," said Wanda, "Maybe we should all go out for lunch or something to help take your mind off it."

"That sounds like a good idea," said Blake, "Besides, I need some sort of relief if I'm going to keep my head straight and do my job."

"That's the spirit," said Wanda with encouragement, "Because believe me…Sitting around all day and moping just makes it worse. The best way to deal with matters of the mind is to provide yourself with distractions. That way, it's easier not to think about it."

"I'll take your word for it," said Blake, "Just know that there's always risk involved in going out into the open."

"Yeah I know," said Wanda, still inwardly frustrated that he and Mystique wouldn't tell her what was so dangerous out there that they would send someone like Blake to protect them.

Blake once again fell silent, feeling his thoughts drifting back to the previous night. That girl still had a strange hold on his mind. Her red hair and green eyes just seemed so vivid in his mind…Almost as if she were standing right in front of him, clear for all to see. But he knew she wasn't there…But he knew she had been there last night and his gaze had met with hers. What he had felt at that moment was still a mystery and the more the thought about it, the more strange it seemed. Just what was this feeling that had stuck with him after that strange encounter? Why was it still there and why did it still feel so vivid?

Wanda was right…He needed to get his head together. And maybe some fresh air would do him some good…But still, it didn't alleviate the confusion he felt every time the vivid image of the redheaded girl passed through his weary mind.

* * *

Betsy Braddock and Emma Frost had been out driving in and around the city for days now, still doing Sinister's grunt work. He had already asked them to steal several components that he would need for his machine and they had already dutifully done that…But the longer this whole thing panned out, the angrier and disgruntled Sinister got. It seemed like with each passing day he was getting to be more difficult to be around and work for. Even though they had always known that the man wasn't exactly the most stable person in a mental sense, it was seemed only to get worse with each passing day.

"So what do we do now?" said Emma as she and Betsy took a brief moment to relax and catch their breath from all the exhaustive tasks Sinister gave them, "Just sit around and wait for something to happen?"

"Do you have a better idea?" grumbled Betsy, feeling the boredom of this whole reconnaissance assignment that Sinister had given them while allowing the rest of the Nasty Boys to carry out the more important tasks.

Both women were sitting in a rented car not far from the Brotherhood boarding house where they knew Sinister's prized test subject resided. He was still acting as a body guard for the Maximoff twins and after what Sinister had told them about his power, it would be a considerable challenge getting around him.

"You know…I think Sinister is doing this to us on purpose," said Emma as she lay back in the passenger side of the car, on the verge of passing out from boredom after being stuck with this task for days now, "I mean, he's made it painfully clear that he doesn't trust us."

"Doesn't take a telepath to determine that," said Betsy in agreement, "I'm actually beginning to think that he's been fucking with us this whole time and has no intention of giving us what we want."

"Well he sure as hell better not go back on his word," said Emma with an annoyed tone, "Otherwise I'll make sure he spends every last moment of his immortal live in agonizing pain. You should consider yourself lucky Betsy, at least you can walk away from this shit anytime you want and go back to your fancy apartment and sleep comfortably in the arms of you rich boy toy. I, on the other hand, am stuck trusting this psycho because if I don't clear my name from the Hellfire Club, it'll be very unlikely that I'll survive through this year."

"Be that as it may Emma, don't expect the best from old pasty face," said Betsy, now actually feeling somewhat sorry for her friend, "If by chance he is going to betray us, he'll probably be prepared for it."

"So doesn't that mean that we should be just as prepared?" asked Emma, not feeling more doubtful than ever about clearing her name.

"It couldn't hurt I guess…But for now, Sinister still holds all the cards so we're pretty much fucked at the moment. I mean…Who else could we turn to?" said Betsy, "Magneto? He's just Sinister without the skin and eyes. I don't care how much Apocalypse fucked him up, from what I've heard about him from Warren, that guy is just as nuts as Sinister."

"And what about Xavier and the X-men?" asked Emma, "Are they an option at all?"

Betsy took a moment to think about that. Unlike Emma, she had heard of the X-men from Warren on numerous occasions. She knew how he had actually fought with them on two occasions against Mesmero and Apocalypse. But after working with Sinister and getting to know the man behind the madness, she was somewhat skeptical that they would be able to help much at this point especially since she had never even met them before.

"Let's assume the worst for now Emma," said Betsy, "Call it pessimistic, but knowing our luck…It's probably the most plausible that Xavier wouldn't make much of a difference."

"Great…So where does that leave us?" groaned Emma.

"Up shit's creek without a paddle," said Betsy, "I guess all we can do now is just wait it out as long as possible. And if by chance Sinister does betray us…We're going to have to act fast or end up worse than that boy he messed up."

It wasn't very uplifting to say the least, but the longer this conflict went on, the more it seemed as though Sinister would rather betray them than give them what they wanted. They knew full well that he was a pretty sick and twisted character, but after his lab was destroyed about a month ago, his darker side was beginning to show more and more. His character wasn't too savory from the get go, but the kind of things he had promised them were just too enticing too pass up. Now that they looked back on it, both Betsy and Emma felt confident that they would have chosen otherwise if they had known then what they knew now.

Suddenly, as both woman sunk tiredly into their seats, a cell phone that had been placed on the dashboard went off and startled them back to reality. Betsy let out an exhausted groan as she took the phone and put it on speaker so that both she and Emma could hear.

"Emma, Psylocke…Report!" ordered Sinister's commanding voice on the other side.

"Still a few blocks down the road from the Brotherhood house," said Betsy, not hiding the annoyance in her tone, but trying hard not to play this volatile man's temper even further.

"Any change in activity?" he asked with a few noised in the background from his lab echoing through the phone, hinting at an intensified level of activity.

"No…Not since the last time you checked…One hour ago!" said Betsy, "They're still hanging around that boarding house. I don't know why you're having us do this, but wouldn't it be easier just to attack and get it over with already?"

"Don't underestimate him Psylocke," said Sinister over the line, "Remember…I created him. He's not some mindless minion of Magneto, he's MY creation. And I need to know what's going on with him…Otherwise that might leave me at a disadvantage…And you wouldn't want that now would you?"

Both young women looked at each other, knowing full well that seeing Sinister in a bind would be something they wouldn't mind seeing at all…But unless they wanted to make themselves be even more at risk, they would have to maintain their loyalty in order to breathe comfortably in the end.

"No…We wouldn't," said Emma, "But it's getting to be too cumbersome. We've already had to ditch Mystique and some of the Acolytes in the city and we can't keep doing that forever. As much as you look down upon them, they aren't stupid Essex…Eventually they may find out."

"That's NOT going to happen," said Sinister sternly, "And I know it's not…Because you two are going to be extra careful from now on and you're also going to attack them before they can even respond. And keep in mind…None of this is up for debate."

"Yeah, yeah…We know," grumbled Betsy.

"Just remember to keep your anonymity for a little while longer," he said as he turned back towards his nearly completed machine, "I've had to rush a few things, but I can safely say that my machine is ready for calibration. And unless you both want to wait another year for completion, you'll have to bring me my test subject…Alive."

"Yeah…Easier said than done," said Emma, not looking forward to that task in the slightest.

"Don't worry…I'm sending the rest of the Nasty Boys out to assist you with this task. They'll meet you in Bayville at the usual spot. When they get there you'll be ready, but you'll have to wait until I give the final instructions. This procedure must be handled carefully, otherwise all our hard work will have been for nothing…And you know I can't have that. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Sinister…Crystal," said Betsy grudgingly, wishing she could just break free of her obligations and tell him to fuck off.

Just then, Emma sensed something in the distance with her telepathy. Betsy seemed to sense it too and they soon found themselves looking back towards the Brotherhood home in the distance. And since both women had fairly strong telepathic abilities, it didn't take long for them to surmise what was happening.

"Betsy, Emma…Are you to broads still there!" said Sinister upon not getting a response from them.

"Sinister…They're leaving," said Emma into the phone, "I think they're heading into the city."

On the other end, a slow grin spread across the madman's face, feeling as though fate had just thrown him a little bonus that he wasn't expecting. Magneto may have been lucky last time, but no amount of luck would save him this time…Not with what he had planned.

"The city…Perfect!" said Sinister, sounding slightly more enthused by the new development, "Follow them, but keep your distance. The rest of the nasty boys will meet you in Bayville in the downtown area near the subway station. The city will be the perfect place to catch them off guard and keep them confined. In addition, I'll send along some of my 'toys' to help subdue them."

"Right," said Betsy as Emma took the phone and she started the engine of the car and began to follow, "We'll be there."

"Just remember…You must act fast if you're to subdue my creation," reminded Sinister, "Threaten innocent civilians if you have to, just get me my test subject back!"

Then, they heard a rather loud slam on the other line as the call ended and Emma turned off the cell phone. Sinister's orders were now becoming more and more extreme in a sense that he was actually telling them to threaten innocent people in order to get his precious experiment back. Neither Betsy nor Emma were model citizens to say the least, but threatening civilians was a line they knew they were not capable of crossing.

"This is getting pretty bad Betsy…" said Emma, not feeling to hopeful about this whole escapade.

"No shit…" she grumbled, "But we can't just run away from it all now."

"Then what do we do?" she said incredulously, "You know full well that I may not be the most moral person in the world, but I certainly am NOT going to threaten innocent civilians like this prick is telling us to."

"I know…And neither am I," said Betsy, "But the rest of the Nasty Boys probably don't have an issue with it, so we should at least go to keep them in check."

"And what if Sinister takes such actions as a sign of disloyalty?" asked Emma as the city was now clear in the distance.

"Then we'll just have to improvise," said Betsy, "But the longer we hold out, the better. Until then, we'll just have to find a way out of this that won't involve losing our heads."

"Any bright ideas on how to do that?" said Emma, not sounding too hopeful about it.

"Nope…Not yet," said Betsy, "But for now, I don't think we have much of a choice other than to get this psycho's precious experiment back. Let's just hope things don't get too messy…"

* * *

Back at the institute, Professor Xavier was still hard at work in the lower levels of the institute working with Cerebro. However, for the past few days he hadn't been using it to find the mysterious mutant that his students had been reporting to him from school, instead he had been working closely with Beast to fully upgrade the system to make it more powerful in order to find the answers that they were looking for. Upgrading something as big as Cerebro was no easy task to say the least, but after long and extensive series of software and hardware enhancements, it was at last nearly ready for use.

"Okay Charles, I think this last circuit board is up and running," said Hank as he got out from under the mainframes, "How goes the software?"

"Nearly done Hank," replied the Professor, "It won't be long now before I'll be able to do a more thorough search on our mysterious new Brotherhood member."

"Well I can see the need to be informed about such activities Charles…But going through all the troubles of upgrading Cerebro seems a bit excessive, don't you think?"

Xavier paused for a moment as he thought about Hank's words. He knew full well the level of extremity this was for simply tracking down a new mutant, but something about this whole situation just didn't sit right with him. Maybe doing this was a good way to distract himself from the lingering scars left by Scott's death and the growing situation with Jean…But despite this, it didn't take away from the strange peculiarity of this whole situation with the new Brotherhood member.

"It may be excessive Hank, but I think this matter needs to be looked into and should not be taken lightly at all," said the Professor as he watched the computer screens show him the progress of the final software upgrades, "Call it intuition, but something about this Blake Hellstrom character just feels…Strange."

"Well I won't bring your intuition into question in this instance Charles," said Hank as he stretched his long, animal-like limbs, "It usually does have some merit in the end whenever you feel something is suspicious and I guess this should come as no exception. But what exactly do you intend to find? Do you think this mysterious newcomer will lead to something more?"

"I'm certain Hank…" said Xavier as the software update was complete, "But there's only one way to find out."

"Wait…You're not going to test it now are you?" said Hank as he saw Xavier start to wheel himself towards the main chamber.

"I must…" said the crippled man with determination, "I have to find some answers…If for anything, for the sake of putting my suspicions to rest while not counting out the possibility that they could make them worse."

"But still, I'd advise you to rest Charles," urged Hank as he followed him into the chamber, "You know how much Cerebro takes out of you and considering that it was just upgraded, you should take even more precautions."

"Don't worry Hank…" assured the Professor as he put on the helmet and loaded the large holographic projection display screen, "I'll be fine."

"Well if it's alright with you, I'd still rather stay and make sure nothing happens," said Hank, not willing to let his friend risk hurting himself again.

"I had a feeling you would," said the Professor with a smile, "But I just wish to put this feeling behind me. If I don't find anything…I promise I'll take a break like you and the others so earnestly want me to."

"You know I'm going to hold you to that," said Hank with a grin, knowing how obsessive Xavier could get about something that sparked his suspicions.

Xavier then fired up the main components, seeing the enhanced features on the screen and feeling eager to put them to good use. He wasn't sure if he was going to locate anything of real importance even with these upgrades, but he was at least determined to try.

The hum of the large, elaborate components filled the room as Hank took a step back and allowed the Professor to do what he did best. Although he didn't see how Xavier could be so suspicious about one simple Brotherhood member even if he was new since they hadn't caused the X-men any problems for months now, he did not question his intuition. For whatever reason he had for feeling this way, he was sure that it was a good one.

As the Professor felt his mind expand through the boundaries of the institute and beyond, he began searching for the mind of the young man his students had told him about while the computer gathered data about the search. This process was a difficult one, even for someone of the Professor's abilities. But he kept probing, searching for any hints of the young man known only to him and his students as Blake Hellstrom.

Then suddenly…He found something. It was weak and nearly invisible…But it was definitely something. Xavier went in to take a closer look, but soon found that it was pushing him away. Not only that, but the signature seemed quite strange in that it was unlike anything he had ever encountered before. With his mind, he kept trying to get in…But even with the enhancements he couldn't even scratch the surface of what it was. All he knew for certain was that it was there.

Professor Xavier continued to try and decipher what this strange phenomenon was…When suddenly, he felt a strange force hit him. Then, without warning, he was suddenly blasted with an intense stream of vivid images…All of which included a demonic looking man with pale white skin and bright red eyes. He tried to avoid them, but then…An insidious laugh filled the aura around him and he was suddenly pulled out of his state as he let out a pained yell that echoed though the room.

"Charles!" yelled Beast as he ran over to his friend's side.

Xavier was now slumping limply in his wheelchair, obviously overwhelmed by something he had seen. Whatever it was, it must have been quite intense for it to send someone as powerful as him reeling back to reality in such an intense manner.

"I saw something…" said the Professor, struggling to catch his breath, "Something…Sinister."

Hank removed the helmet from his head as he did a quick check of the Professor's condition, being the doctor that he was.

"Well then I suggest you not do that again for a while," said Hank as he saw the haunted look in the eyes of his mentor, "Whatever hit you was quite intense."

"No…It didn't hit me," said Xavier, shaking off the effects of the sensation he had experienced, "It surprised and overwhelmed me. I don't know what that was…But I definitely found something."

"Was it this so called Blake character?" asked Beast, wondering just what it was they were dealing with to have caused such havoc.

"No…At least I'm fairly certain it wasn't," said Xavier, "I managed to get a very brief trace of his mind…But it is heavily guarded and very well shielded. In fact, the only reason it was probably visible at all was because it must have been in a strange state of turmoil or conflict."

"Could you sense anything?"

"Other than that, no," answered Xavier as he quickly regained his composure, ignoring the throbbing feeling in his head, "I think what attacked me was some kind of separate force…But not from our mysterious stranger either. It felt almost like a shadow that followed the young man's mind…One designed to keep prying minds from seeing something."

"In that case…I guess your suspicions are now well vindicated," said Hank, "So what do should we do about it?"

"I'm not sure but…" then suddenly, something else caught the Professor's eye on the computer screen, "Wait…It seems as though Cerebro managed to get some physiological data on the young man while I was trying to probe his mind."

Xavier then began to type in a few commands on the console to bring up the data. While his mind may not have been able to venture into the young man, the computer still managed to do its job. But as soon as the data came up on the makeup of the young man's body…The two men who had spent so many years studying mutation were left at a loss for words.

"Charles…Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" asked Hank as he felt himself freeze somewhat at this most unusual sight.

"I believe so Hank," said Charles, looking equally astonished by this new data.

"Do you think this could be some kind of error on account of the upgrades?" he suggested, wanting to rule out any possibility of faulty data.

"No…I don't think so old friend," said Xavier, "The upgrades appear to be working fine. What we're seeing is real."

The two men just stood in silence for a brief moment, looking at the data that the computer had managed to get. While it was somewhat incomplete, it was still stranger than anything either of them had ever seen. The images of a strange, complex DNA strand that seemed packed with more genes than any regular human or mutant for that matter didn't seem natural in the slightest. It looked almost…Enhanced.

"This is definitely major…" said Xavier, "I must look into this more."

"What about the young man…Blake Hellstrom?" asked Hank.

Xavier looked quite anxious now at the prospect of such a unique mutant with the Brotherhood. There were so many unknowns about this new data, but it was very significant…No doubt about it. Having come out of nowhere like this was a warning sign to anybody that this was far more complicated than it seemed and the Professor intended to find out just what this whole thing was about.

"Right now, he doesn't appear to pose much danger," said Xavier, "But given the complexity of his X-gene and his DNA as a whole, it's a given that he must be quite powerful. We may need to find a way to talk to him in order to learn more, but for now…I think it would be smart if we kept our distance. There's no telling what conflict is going on right under our noses with this man."

"Shouldn't we send some students to the Brotherhood to befriend him or at least get to know him?" asked Hank, "It would be wise if we presented ourselves as being friendly if we are to learn about his origins."

"No…Not yet Hank," said the Professor, "We don't know what the Brotherhood has told him about us, but after the incident Kitty and Kurt told me about, I think we can safely assume that he's rather neutral at the moment. Whether or not he stays that way is still in question though. But for now…The best we can do is learn as much about this situation as possible. The more we know, the less surprises we'll have to deal with when they come along. Let's just hope that there aren't too many…But after sensing such disturbances, I have a bad feeling that we may be in for something far more complex and mysterious than we can fully ascertain at the moment."

* * *

As Betsy and Emma followed the Brotherhood into the city, they kept at least a two block buffer zone between them and Lance's jeep. While they weren't exactly in full sight all the time, the two young women never lost sight of them because of their telepathic powers. Looking at the streets around them, they saw that it was quite crowded…Leaving no shortage of potential hostages for the Nasty Boys if things didn't go smoothly. It wasn't exactly an uplifting thing to think about for Betsy and Emma, but for now they had no other choice. But the longer they stayed loyal to Sinister, the more complicated things would get.

After about five minutes of tailing the jeep, it finally came to a stop outside the Gut Bomb fast food restaurant. As a precautionary measure, Betsy parked their rented car on the other side of the street and waited in silence as they kept a telepathic eye on the six Brotherhood members as they stood in line for some food.

"Yuck…Who in their right mind would ever eat there?" scoffed Emma as she looked back at the crowded fast food restaurant where Sinister's precious test subject resided, "Food like that would go straight to my thighs. Hell, I'm probably getting fat just thinking about it."

"Emma…You seriously need realize that a nice little grease-ball, artery clogging burger every now and then isn't going to kill you," said Betsy, rolling her eyes at Emma's superficiality, "Even the rich have a craving for good old cheap and tasty food every now and then. You should try it."

"Thanks but no thanks," replied Emma, "I'd have to make an appointment with my plastic surgeon after one bite."

Betsy simply let out an exasperated sigh, knowing she wasn't going to convince someone as stubborn as Emma Frost. They both got out of the car and began scoping out the area, planning the quickest, most effective way to get Sinister's precious test subject back. Just then, Emma's cell phone rang again as they both stood on the corner of the street from across the restaurant.

"Hello?" answered Emma as she and Betsy continued monitoring the moves of the Brotherhood.

"It's Ruckus," said the voice on the other line, "We're at the spot. Where are you?"

She hesitated briefly, knowing that once the rest of the Nasty Boys got here things would get ugly. But if either she or Betsy showed any sign of disloyalty or disobedience, they would be just as big a target as Magneto. Looking back at the crowd of people surrounding the restaurant, the blonde telepath didn't look forward to the chaos that was certain to ensue.

"We're at the gut bomb fast food restaurant right off route 11," she answered finally as she watched the Brotherhood sit down to eat their food.

"We'll be there in five minutes…Don't take your eye off them," responded Ruckus, "And remember what Sinister said…Get his little test subject back by ANY means necessary!"

* * *

AN: Well, that's it for now folks! The Nasty Boys are about to have a little encounter with the Brotherhood! Who do you think will come out on top? The plot thickens as the tension rises so don't miss the coming parts, for they will be major! Sinister is still out there and he's still causing innumerable problems. It's complicated now, but thing will have to resolve themselves sooner or later! So what did you all think? Please tell me! Send me your reviews via email or post them on the fanfiction website! I appreciate any feedback you can give me! Thank you all for reading and I wish everybody the best!

HEY WAIT! DON'T LEAVE YET! REVIEW!


	15. Confrontation

**Between Life and Death  
Chapter 15: Confrontation**

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Hey, you all know the drill, so let's get right to it!

**Tim Digidestined of Loyalty: **Nice to hear from you again my friend! I'm glad you've enjoyed the story up to this point. As for the showdown, there will be one in this chapter…But the big one is still to come! Thanks for the review and peace out!  
**Simba317: **Glad to see the server problems haven't stunted your kind praise of my fic! Blake now knows of Jean, but in his current state, he doesn't know what to make of it. Even his own appearance is an enigma to him and it shows with how he looks at himself in the mirror. His friendship with Wanda was kind of a given since she could probably relate better than most when it comes to issues of confusing memories, so they both would find some friendship in that. While the Wanda/Blake thing was mainly a result of what I read in the Ultimate comics, keep in mind he is still linked to Jean. You'll see where it all goes soon enough because it won't be long now before everything comes to ahead in this fic! Thanks for the awesome review my friend! You rock! Peace out!  
**Strayphoenix: **To answer your question, the Nasty Boys are Sinister's henchmen. They mostly do his dirty work whether it's kidnapping, stealing, or murder. Ruckus has a supersonic yell, Georgous George is super strong and invulnerable, and Vertigo has the psychic power to make anybody sick enough to incapacitate them. There are two more, but I don't know much about them either and I wanted to make room for Betsy and Emma. I'm glad to see you back again and thank you very much for your kind support!  
**Agent-G: **Don't worry my friend, the action is about to begin and it'll all start to heat up from here! As for Emma, I guess her character from "Hellfire and Brimstone" has been rubbing off on me and it's made it's way into this story. However, she's going to play a major role along with Betsy later on, so she has to stay. As for the swearing, I don't know…I haven't caught that. I'll try to tone it down since this is PG-13. Thanks a bunch for the review man. I always appreciate hearing from you and I hope you like how this story goes in the end. Peace out my friend.  
**Sentoris: **Yes my friend, the action is about to begin and just wait till you see where it leads! As for Jean, you'll see how she and 'Blake' get involved soon enough! Thanks a ton for the review my friend! It's always a pleasure hearing from you since you have been one of my most dedicated supporters! You rock! Peace out!  
**Heartsyhawk: **Hey! It's great to hear from you again my friend! Sorry to hear about all the homework. I know how bad that can get. Thanks for finding the time to say such kind words about my fic! I'm glad you like how I'm characterizing everybody so far with this since it's going to play a major role in how the plot fans out. The scene with Blake and Jean in previous chapters was only a prelude…For after this chapter, the real drama begins! Thank you SO much for all the wonderful things you've said about my writing! I can never thank you enough for them! You rock my friend! Peace out!

Also, a special thanks to: **Howlerdrode, Sprocket, Doza, X00001, GothikStrawberry, Rogue14, Mark C, Quillian, Ldypebsaby, Wen1, Jott Luuuver, Telepathic Angel, Jenskott.**

**Also, I have a fic that I'm co-authoring with Agent-G called "Hellfire and Brimstone." It's got Jott, Romy, Wandurt, Kiotr, Loro, and plenty more! Please read and review it! Also, I have another ongoing fic on the adultfanfiction website, so if you want to, go to my profile and check that out as well! And don't forget to review!**

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In the crowded Gut Bomb fast food restaurant, the Brotherhood ate their Sunday lunch in a sea of crowded people. The weather was fairly nice out so there were a lot of other people out today. Such a crowd didn't make the Brotherhood too comfortable because of some of the suspicious looks they received, but Blake kept them from lashing out and now they concentrated on their meal for the most part.

"Yeesh Blob," said Lance as he looked over at Freddy's rather impressive mountain of food, "How can you mix ketchup with mayonnaise?"

"Hey, don't knock it till you've tried it," said Blob as he dipped his fries in the reddish white mixture and stuffed them into his mouth as if they were candy.

"Blegh…I have enough problems maintaining an appetite from just looking at it thank you very much," he replied as he tried to focus on his burger.

"See…I told you I wasn't the only one who eats gross things, Lance," said Todd as his eyes followed a nearby fly as it landed on his burger, "Flies may be disgusting to you, but once you've had em, you'll wonder how you ever lived without em!"

Then, as the fly tried to get away, Todd used his extra long tongue to snatch it up before it could get away. While this helped him settle his appetite, it didn't do so well for others who didn't find insects as appetizing as he did.

"Ugh, I think I just lost my appetite," said Wanda as she set her half eaten burger down.

"I'll take it!" said Freddy eagerly as he took it and quickly began wolfing it down.

"Be my guest…" said Wanda.

While all this was going on, Blake remained fixated on the view outside. He wasn't necessarily looking at anything, but it was clear that he was thinking about something. He had only taken a few bites out of his burger and truth be told, he wasn't that hungry to begin with. His mind was just too preoccupied to think about food at a time like this.

"Hey Blake…You okay man?" asked Lance as he noticed Blake's thousand mile stare out the window.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied in a deep, monotone voice.

"You're a lousy liar, you know that?" quipped Wanda.

"Yeah, even I can see it," said Todd as he turned to face the troubled young man sitting next to him, "What's the matter yo?"

Blake didn't say anything. He just kept staring out the window lost in thought. No matter what he did or how hard he tried, he just couldn't stop thinking about the night before when he had seen that mysterious redheaded girl outside the boarding house. The strange memories and feelings that he had felt when he saw her kept his mind in a state of unease. Ever since he saw her, the nightmares that he had been having since he woke up grew even more vivid and detailed…Yet there still seemed to be a few vital parts missing.

"Hey Blaze!" shouted Pietro, "Are you awake?"

That managed to snap him back to reality, but it still did little to change his demeanor.

"I'm okay guys…Really," said Blake, "I just have a lot on my mind."

"Like what yo?" asked Todd as he watched him return to his dazed expression.

"Just…The regular things most people with complete and utter amnesia think about," said Blake, choosing to leave it at that.

Pietro simply rolled his eyes and returned to eating his meal. Normally, he wouldn't have gone anywhere with his so called 'guardian' that was still a minion of his father in his mind. But the promise of a good meal was enough for him, given that his hyperactive metabolism gave him an appetite second only to Blob's. And as long as his sister was out, he didn't want to leave her in the hands of one of Magneto's henchmen. His father had already taken away his sister once before and no matter how powerful someone like Blake was, he wasn't going to let it happen again.

* * *

Outside the Gut Bomb, Betsy and Emma had moved in closer across the street so that the Brotherhood was in plain sight. They were still eating their meal near a window and were still surrounded by people. The rest of the Nasty Boys would surly be ready to strike at any given moment now, but the prospect of the ensuing battle was not something either of them was looking forward to.

"Emma…I've got a bad feeling about this," said Betsy as she looked at the area around where their target was located.

"Tell me something I don't know," responded Emma, not seeing any clean way out of this situation.

They waited anxiously, hoping that they would at least leave or go somewhere less crowded and confined. But from the looks of it, they weren't going anywhere for the time being. With the lunchtime crowd still setting in, there was plenty to be worried about given the magnitude of this task. Sinister had already made it clear that this was one of his top priorities. He needed his precious test subject back and unless they wanted to end up on his hit list with Magneto, they would have to get him back despite the complications.

Just then, the cell phone Emma was carrying went off again and she promptly answered it.

"Yeah?"

"It's Vertigo…We're all in position," she said over the line, "Get ready. And remember, the test subject is the key objective. If we have to take hostages, namely the Maximoff twins, then be prepared to do so at a moments notice."

"Right…" said Emma, as she hung up the phone and let out an anxious sigh, "Well…Let the chaos begin."

As the two women mentally prepared themselves for what was about to go down, the Brotherhood sat completely unaware of what was going on around them. They were still in the process of eating their meals and the crowd around them hadn't died down all that much. Blake was still in a trance as he kept thinking about the mysterious girl from the previous night, but unknown to him or the others…A strange man in a trench coat began to walk along the row of windows. At the same time, Betsy and Emma began to cross the street…Knowing what was soon to happen.

Blake's gaze shifted back down the street as he chose to stop thinking about his troubles and focus on something else, but as he turned away from the window…The man in the trench coat caught his eye.

"So Blake, what do you wanna do after this?" asked Todd casually, not noticing the disturbed look on the young man's face, "Blake? Yo Blake!"

Blake's eyes remained fixated on the nearing man as time suddenly felt as though it was moving slower. Then, he got a brief glimpse of the man's face and suddenly…An instinct he couldn't explain kicked in.

"Guys, get down!" he yelled as he shoved everyone near him off their seats and down to the ground.

But before either of them could begin to respond, a deafening blast of high pitched sound echoed through the area, shattering the glass around them with ease. Everybody in the restaurant clenched their ears as the man with the trench coat revealed himself to be Ruckus of the Nasty Boys.

"We've come for you Blaze!" he said as he stopped his sonic blasts, "Sinister has been eagerly awaiting your return!"

Blake quickly returned to his feet, blocking out the pain in his ears as he made his body glow its ominous ruby red color in preparation for the fight.

"Well you can tell Sinister to kiss my ass!" said Blake as he stood in front of the still downed Brotherhood, ready to carry out his duties as their guardian.

He was about to send a powerful energy bolt directly at the loud mouthed mutant, but just then, the doorway was bashed in by Gorgeous George and more commotion began to break out among the crowd as people began screaming things like 'Mutant!' or 'Monsters!'

As the Brotherhood regained their composure, Blob's temper began to boil as he looked at the two aggressors that had shattered the calm of their little outing.

"ERR! Nobody interrupts my lunch and gets away with it!" he bellowed as he made eye contact with Gorgeous George and charged him like a raging bull.

"Bring it on fat boy!" said George as he charged right back at him as they both collided and became immersed in a bitter struggle.

As the rest of the Brotherhood got up and took a look at the chaos around them, they prepared to join Blake on the defensive, for they still outnumbered Gorgeous and Ruckus and they had fought much greater battles before.

"So THESE are the pricks that you're trying to protect us from Blake!" said Pietro, definitely not looking too impressed.

"Yeah, they don't look so tough yo!" said Todd as he looked back at Ruckus.

"Well looks can be deceiving…" grinned Ruckus as he saw the overconfident look in their eyes.

"Hey! Loud mouth…Shut up!" said Lance as his eyes rolled back into his head and began causing a seismic tremor that began causing the area to shake.

This caused Gorgeous and Blob to lose their balance somewhat along with the rest of the people who hadn't managed to get out of the restaurant beforehand. But neither Gorgeous George nor Ruckus looked too threatened by this as the back door behind the Brotherhood suddenly opened and a new combatant stepped in.

"Time for you to regret having just eaten Brotherhood!" said Vertigo as he eyes began to glow and she began projecting psychic feelings of intense nausea and sickness to the Brotherhood.

"Ugh! I think I'm gonna be sick!" said Todd as he clenched his stomach and feel to the floor like the others.

Lance tried to maintain the tremor, but the powerful feeling of dizziness and nausea caused him to keel over try to keep whatever he had just eaten inside his stomach. Blake managed to fight this off and remain on his weary feet even as the Brotherhood remained down on the ground in agony. His body was still glowing bright red as he took the energy locked within the space around him and brought it within his control.

"That's it…Yield to the power of Vertigo!" said the young woman as she turned up the intensity of her power.

"Uhh…And to think I found mayonnaise and ketchup nauseating!" groaned Lance.

Ruckus then prepared another sonic blast that would hopefully take them the Brotherhood out of the fight permanently, but Blake remained focused enough to concentrate his energy into his strong hands as his eyes began to glow bright red at his aggressors.

"Time to end this!" said Ruckus as he took a deep breath.

"Not so fast!" yelled Blake as he let loose his powers in the first combat situation to his memory.

The intensity of the blast surprised Ruckus as he was sent flying off towards the street. This momentary show of power managed to cause Vertigo to let her guard down for a fraction of a second. And thankfully, this was all the time Wanda would need to focus her powers and hex Vertigo against the wall, breaking her nauseating spell over her and the others.

"You're gonna pay for that, bitch!" said Wanda as she let her temper take over, "When I get through with you, you'll know what it's REALLY like to be sick!"

Before Vertigo could respond, Wanda blasted her again with another hex bolt, sending her flying against one of the tables. The lights above her began to flicker and Wanda had no intentions of letting up. But it wasn't over yet.

Then suddenly, before Wanda could blast her with another hex bold, a psionic blade came flying towards her and she was forced to duck in order to avoid it. This gave Vertigo enough time to get up as Betsy and Emma made their entrance into the fight.

"Come on Emma…Let's get this over with," said Betsy under her breath as she looked at the angry Brotherhood before her.

"No argument here," replied the blonde telepath as she took on her diamond hard shell and prepared for battle.

Blob and Gorgeous George were still engrossed in a brute strength vs. brute strength fight while Blake and the others turned their attention towards the two newcomers.

"You're only making this more difficult than it has to be Blake," said Vertigo as her eyes began to glow again, "Come with us…Your creator is waiting."

"Fuck that yo!" said Todd in a cocky voice, "You mess with one Brotherhood member, you mess with all of us!"

"Have it your way then…" said Betsy as she began firing off psionic blades, forcing Todd to avoid them.

Just then, Ruckus came in from the other side and quickly attacked Blake. His aggression seemed somewhat fool hardy against someone as strong and skilled as him, but he didn't seem to care about that as he erupted in a fury of sonic blasts in an effort to subdue the powerful mutant that Sinister's machines had created.

This left Lance, Pietro, Wanda, and Toad to deal with Vertigo, Psylock, and Emma. But having the advantages in numbers once again gave them a feeling of overconfidence as they prepared to take down their aggressors.

"So we get to handle the chicks!" grinned Pietro as he looked at what Emma and Psylock were wearing, "It just so happens that's my specialty!"

"Oh please!" said Betsy as she began throwing psionic blades at cocky speedster, which he easily avoided, "I'm sure the ladies must love a man who does EVERYTHING in super speed."

This caught Pietro off guard long enough for one of the blades to land close enough to him to knock him off his feet. Upon seeing this, Lance took the initiative and prepared to start another tremor, but Vertigo quickly saw this and sprang into action.

"I don't think so boy…" said Vertigo as she focused her powers on Lance and once again caused him to groan in agony, "You won't be causing any trouble with those volatile little gifts of yours. Besides, we came here for only one thing…Blake."

"Well you aren't getting him!" said Wanda as her eyes began to glow again and the lights started flickering.

"Oh I beg to differ Ms Maximoff," said Emma as she looked into the eyes of the angry Scarlet Witch, "I think you'll find that we can be very 'persuasive' when it comes to keeping people out of our business."

Then suddenly, Wanda's hexing powers stopped and she clutched her head in pain as she fell to the floor. Emma had just used her telepathy to reawaken the old, painful images of the insane asylum that had brought her so much pain and conflict in her life. Only now with Emma's telepathic boost, the images were more vivid and it felt as though she was really there. The illusion was a painful one for her, but it was keeping her and her volatile powers out of the fight. She soon fell to the ground as tears began streaming down her face at what she was seeing flash before her minds eye.

"No…Please! Make it stop! Make it stop! No more!" she cried, her eyes clenched shut as she tried to filter it all out, but with no success.

"Sorry to have to do this to you Wanda…" said Emma, "But this situation is far grander than you and your friends could ever imagine. Its better you stay out of it…For you don't want to get involved with Mr. Sinister."

Wanda's pained yells only grew louder as Emma turned up the intensity, making her memories all the more vivid. Despite being outnumbered, Sinister had provided them with good data to help their fight. And with Wanda being one of the most volatile of the group, it would be many times easier if she was simply taken out of the equation…But this action didn't go unnoticed.

"Wanda!" yelled Pietro as her screams caught him off guard for a fraction of a second, but this short amount of time was all Betsy needed to make her move as she leaped forth and drop kicked the speed demon.

Upon seeing Wanda's predicament, Todd quickly decided to take action as well. Both he and Lance had been struggling against Vertigo, but her spells of dizziness and sickness weren't strong enough to keep him down. His whole body may have felt like it was on fire because of her powers, but he still had enough strength in his powerful legs to make one strong leap past Vertigo, leaving an open path towards Emma.

"I'm comin' baby cakes! Toad to the rescue!" he proclaimed as he leaped into the air and prepared a flying kick towards the blonde telepath.

Emma had to break concentration for just one moment to avoid the swift and nimble young man, but it was easily done thanks to Todd's rather brash and ill planned moves.

"Trying to be a hero swamp boy?" smirked Emma, still in her diamond hard form.

"Hey shut up! Nobody messes with my girl!" said Toad as he did a swift roundhouse kick maneuver that Blake had taught him.

However, despite his superhuman leg strength, Emma's diamond shell proved to be far too hard for him to even dent. And while Todd was quick, his unguarded mind made his attacks easy to predict and Emma was quickly able to counter with a double punch combo and a swift kick in the gut to send him flying back.

The Brotherhood was quickly losing their advantage in numbers as Blake watched the fight while he was still struggling against Ruckus. He watched as Todd and Pietro both made ill fated attempts to aid Wanda and saw Freddy starting to struggle against Gorgeous George. Wanda was also still ailing from the psychic onslaught that had been forced upon her by Emma and she definitely looked as though she was out of the fight. Seeing the Brotherhood faltering under the well planned moves of the Nasty Boys, Blake's temper began to boil as he summoned more power from the air around him and made his entire body glow.

"Oh no you don't!" said Ruckus, as he took a deep breath and prepared another, much louder sonic yell.

"Not this time…" said Blake.

Then, with an increasing level of power being collected in his body, Blake unleashed a powerful wave of concentrated energy and sent Ruckus flying back through the window he had come from with the force of a freight train. Blake had been holding back in his fight because he didn't want to unleash more power than he had to in a public place, but now…He was through with child's play. This fight had gone on long enough and it was time for him to end it.

Seeing Emma standing before Wanda once more with her psychic onslaught in full swing, she prepared to knock the Scarlet Witch out of the fight for good.

"Don't worry Wanda…" said Emma as she turned up the intensity, "My illusions only hurt as much as you allow them. And believe me…You'll thank me for taking you out of this fight."

"Hey blondie!" said Blake as his body continued to glow with intense ruby red energy.

As Emma turned to face the source of the voice, she was suddenly hit with a concentrated beam of energy. Normally, her diamond hard shell would have protected her against such a blast…But the sheer intensity of this one was too much for even her to handle. The force had been great enough to blast her through the wall, leaving a rather large hole. While her diamond shell protected her body, the impact was enough to nearly knock her out cold.

"Wanda!" said Blake as he rushed over to her side, "Wanda…Its okay. It's over now…It was only an illusion."

Wanda Maximoff let out a pained groan as she returned to her feet, still rubbing her head. So many vivid images of those memories that she struggled so hard with most had nearly paralyzed her. Only this time, Emma's illusions took it a step further by giving it demonic twists that made the people who restrained her look like demons and the men who taunted her look like tall, imposing giants bathed in a shadow of darkness. Such images were hard to forget, but Wanda had been dealing with them for quite some time now and she had become somewhat use to having all these horrible feelings lurking within her mind.

"Ugh…I feel like shit," she groaned as she leaned on Blake in order to keep her balance.

Just then, a psionic blade hit the ground before them and Psylocke now stood ready to fight the both of them. She had managed to fight off Pietro and assist Vertigo in dealing with Lance, but after seeing Emma get blasted, she was eager to end this fight before anybody else got hurt.

"You know…Emma's not the only one with telepathy," said the purple haired mutant as she prepared her mind for a psychic onslaught.

Blake stood in front of Wanda as he made his body glow a menacing ruby red color once again, prepared to unleash another burst of energy to take her out just as he had Emma and Ruckus. However, before either of them could strike first, Pietro used his super speed to step in.

"NO! Leave my sister alone ninja bitch!" yelled the speedster as he caught the young psychic off guard and tackled her to the ground.

"You little bugger!" said Psylocke in a greatly annoyed tone as she formed two psionic blades and prepared to take Pietro down once again.

Soon, Pietro and Psylocke were going at it again. And over with Lance, Todd, and Vertigo, Lance finally managed to break free from her spell long enough to send a light tremor through floor, catching her off balance just long enough for Todd to give her a swift jump kick to the stomach. Things also got better for Blob as he managed to use a spare trey of food from a table to throw in the face of Gorgeous George, causing him to falter just long enough for him to get the upper hand and land several critical blows.

However, this change of luck did not go unnoticed to Ruckus, who had fought intense bodily pain to remerge from the hole that Blaze had knocked him through. He was definitely not willing to let the Nasty Boys suffer defeat at the hands of a bunch of misfit mutant teenagers. They had come here for only one thing, but they had definitely underestimated just how difficult it would be. Never the less, Sinister was a man who prepared for everything…And Ruckus knew there was only one alternative.

With an insidious grin, he reached into his trench coat pocket and pulled out the strange looking ray gun that they had used to capture Sinister's test subject in the first place. It had been slightly damaged as a result of Blake's blasts, but it was still powerful enough to fire a devastating burst at a lower level. And the first thing he took aim at was the first Brotherhood member he saw…Pietro.

"Time to end this!" grinned Ruckus as he took aim and pointed the gun towards the speed demon as he was knocked back by a swift series of blows by Betsy.

Pietro didn't see the gun being aimed at him, for he was too engrossed in his fight with the purple haired mutant to care…But Blake saw this and before anyone could truly process the severity of the situation, he sprang into action.

"Pietro look out!" yelled Blake as he lunged forth and knocked Pietro out of the way just as a powerful yellow burst of light hit directly where the speedster was just a fraction of a second ago, missing them by only millimeters.

"Damn it!" cursed Ruckus, but then he noticed something else.

In moving to save Pietro, Blake had left the still recovering Wanda Maximoff behind and unguarded. Upon seeing a clean shot, Ruckus didn't waste any time as he pointed the gun back at Wanda and fired.

"AHHHHHH!" she cried as an overwhelming shock surged through her body, causing undue pain.

"WANDA!" yelled Pietro as he saw his sister fall limply to the ground.

Quickly, he rushed over to her side. Lance and Todd, who had also seen this, did the same. But for Blake…His attention was completely on the source of the blast now. Upon seeing that ray gun…Something within him let loose an even greater show of power as a blinding display of ruby red light engulfed his body and blinded Ruckus and Psylocke.

"You're going to pay for that!" said Blaze sternly as formed a powerful ball of energy with his hands and sent it directly at Ruckus, destroying the gun and knocking back against Gorgeous George with unmatched force.

He then turned to Psylocke and Vertigo, who were momentarily stunned at the powerful display of force, but such actions proved to be their undoing as Blake formed another ball in his hands and sent it flying towards them…Taking them out of the fight as well. Emma Frost, however, chose to stay in the shadows of the hole she had been blown through. After seeing Blake's use of his power, she knew it was foolish to try and fight him at this point. His anger over what Ruckus did to Wanda had triggered something within him that unleashed a level of power greater than he had ever tapped before. And knowing that the odds were not in their favor anymore, the Nasty Boys were forced to back down.

However, their actions went ignored by the Brotherhood for the most part as they all crowded around Wanda…Who was lying deathly still from the powerful burst she had endured.

"Wanda! Wanda please…" cried Pietro as he started to panic for his sister's well being, "Wake up…Wake up…"

Lance quickly felt for a pulse around her neck, but it was difficult to say the least. Wanda wasn't breathing very well and it looked as though the burst had sent her into a fit of convulsions. Despite this, Lance managed to find a weak pulse.

"She's still alive…" said Lance, "But we have to get her some help."

"But where!" yelled Todd, looking just as hysterical as Pietro, "The hospital won't help mutants!"

"There's only one place and you know it!" said Lance.

"Xavier's…" said Pietro as he swallowed hard at the sight of his sister's unmoving body.

"Then that's where we'll bring her," said Blake sternly as he swiftly picked Wanda up in his arms and led the Brotherhood out the door towards Lance's jeep.

Pietro and Todd had to limp their way with along with them, still suffering from some of the injuries they had sustained in the fight. But they wasted no time as Lance jumped into the driver's seat and started the engine. Pietro, Blake, and Todd were with Wanda in the back while Freddy sat up front as Lance stepped on the gas and sped out of the parking lot down the road on route to the Xavier Institute.

Pietro kept talking to his sister, trying to bring her out of this deep state of unconsciousness. While he was never usually one to be afraid of anything…The thought of losing his sister again was something that truly did terrify him. Wanda was the only family he had left. Their father had abandoned them and all they had now was each other. And after so many years of bitterness, they had finally been working on developing a decent brother/sister relationship over the past few months. Even despite the complications of her memories…He still wanted his sister back and he refused to let her be taken away from him again.

"Come on Wanda…" he said to her, holding her head in his lap, hoping she could hear him, "Just hang on…You're gonna be okay. Just don't leave me…I just got you back…Don't leave me."

* * *

Back at the restaurant which now looked like a war zone in the aftermath of the fight, the Nasty Boys managed to get up and make their escape before the cops showed up. They were all still hurting from the fight they had just endured, but they were not defeated yet…Not by a long shot.

"Well THAT could have gone better," said Betsy as she rubbed the sore temples of her head.

"Yeah, I'm sure this will make Sinister happy once he hears about it," said Emma, not looking forward to facing an angry madman.

"Well maybe if you two had just taken hostages like Sinister had said, maybe it wouldn't have been such a disaster!" said Gorgeous George angrily.

"Hey don't blame this on us!" quipped Betsy angrily, "If you hadn't been so damn busy with Blob, you could have done it yourself!"

"Oh please you two…" said Ruckus, "Don't bullshit this situation any more than it already is. I saw all the opportunities you had Betsy…And that goes for you as well Emma!"

"Hey, I'm not the one who just sent the Brotherhood rushing to Xavier's!" shot Emma, not in the mood for being blamed for failure, "What in the hell were you thinking firing that thing off against them!"

"I had to take part of the Brotherhood out of the equation!" said Ruckus, growing all the more irked at Betsy and Emma's attitude, "It was a part of the plan…Which YOU two didn't bother to follow! And because of that it's going to be YOU that takes the blame for all this!"

"Like hell I am!" yelled Betsy, fighting the urge to form a psionic blade and just disembowel this man for making her so angry.

Just then, Emma's cell phone went off again and the arguing abruptly stopped. They all knew who it was and didn't look forward to talking to him. For a moment, they just let it ring…But the longer they waited, the angrier Sinister would probably be on the other side.

"Go on…Answer it," said Vertigo, "It's YOUR phone."

With an annoyed grumble, Emma answered it, not at all liking where this was probably going to lead.

"Sinister…" she answered as she turned on the speaker so that everybody could hear and talk.

"You're late…" said a rather disgruntled voice, "What happened? Do you have my test subject?"

Emma took a deep breath, knowing this probably wouldn't be the report that Sinister had hoped for.

"No…We don't," she answered after a brief silence.

"WHAT!" yelled Sinister into the phone, "What happened!"

"We ambushed them, a fight broke out, and we lost…" explained Emma in simple terms, "Add to that, SOMEBODY used that paralyzing ray and shot Wanda. Now the Brotherhood is on their way to Xavier's to get her some medical attention."

There was a brief silence on the other line. And if they could've seen him…They would have seen the madman's eyes grow a bright, angry red as he took in this most unwelcome information.

"So let me get this straight…You shot the Scarlet Witch…You shot Magneto's daughter," he said with complete and utter distaste for the situation, "And now they're going to get Xavier involved! What in the hell were you dead head's thinking!"

"Hey, I'm not the one who shot her!" said Emma into the phone, "Blame loud mouth over here!"

"I don't give a damn who did it!" bellowed Sinister, "All that matters now is that the Brotherhood is bringing Xavier into this conflict at one of the most pivotal points! Add to that, once Magneto finds out what happened to his child he's going to be quite enraged and I don't need any more obstacles…Not when I'm so close!"

"So what do you want us to do?" said Emma, not seeing an easy way out of this whole dilemma.

There was a brief silence over the phone as Sinister pondered his next move. Back in his lab, his nearly completed machine was nearly ready for use…But he still needed his test subject back if he was going to make it work perfectly like he wanted it to. And now that he would have to contend with both Magneto and Xavier, he knew his only choice was to finish it before they could destroy it again. He had waited too long to see his true goals come to pass and he was not about to let anybody stand in his way…Not when he was so close.

"Seeing as how this development was mostly your fault, I think it's only fair that you face the consequences," said Sinister ominously, "Now you'll just have to get my test subject back the hard way."

"The hard way?" said Betsy, not knowing what he meant, but not liking where he was going with it.

"Yes…The hard way," he said, "You'll have to break into Xavier's mansion, fight both the X-men and the Brotherhood, and extract him yourselves."

"What! You can't be serious!" said Gorgeous George, "That's suicide!"

"Since when was any part of this negotiable?" quipped Sinister, evoking a strong silence among the Nasty Boys, "Remember…You brought this upon yourselves and you have to face the penalty. I require this whole process to be over quickly before both Magneto and Xavier descend upon me in full force."

"But how in the hell do you expect us to get that precious test subject of yours in a heavily guarded mansion when we couldn't even get him here!" shot Betsy, feeling increasingly anxious about trying to go ahead with such a daunting task.

"You'll just have to improvise," said Sinister, "Remember…Blake is very powerful now and you made a mistake in thinking you could go one on one with him. This time, you'll need hostages. I don't care what students you take or who you kill in the process, just get Blake back! Bring him here or make it so he'll have to come! And hostages will be the only way to do this. In addition…It will also show both Xavier and Magneto that I mean business! If they are going to try and stop me…They'll have to realize that it will not come without a price…One that must be paid in the blood of their loved ones!"

Both Betsy and Emma exchanged nervous glances, not liking where this man's plans were leading. It had gotten to the point where he was now prepared to kill those who have nothing to do with this conflict…And it was a line that Betsy and Emma didn't know if they could cross. But for the rest of the Nasty Boys, that was another story.

"You have your mission Nasty Boys…" he said with anger in his voice, "Don't fail!"

After that, he the line went dead and the Nasty Boys were left with their daunting task. It wasn't a very uplifting feeling, knowing the odds they were up against, but for Betsy and Emma it was completely lose-lose. Either way, someone would suffer at the end of all this and it would be because of them helping this madman. At this point, the incentives they had fought so hard for were beginning to take a back seat to their conscious as they wondered how they were ever going to get out of this. But for the rest of the Nasty Boys, they had a new challenge ahead of them and this time…They would not hold back.

"Come on…" said Ruckus, knowing time was definitely against them at this point, "Let's go…We have a job to do."

* * *

Lance lost count of how many traffic laws he probably broke as he pushed his jeep to the limit as he sped towards Xavier's. Pietro, Blake, and Todd were still watching her closely and Pietro kept talking to her despite her deep state of unconsciousness. Her pulse was still very weak and her breathing was hardly noticeable, but there was still enough life within her to have hope.

"Come on Lance! Can't this thing go any faster!" yelled Todd as he kept getting more worried.

"Just hold your horses Todd…We're almost there!" he said as he put the petal to the metal for the last few miles of road before they reached the gates of the institute.

"You're gonna be okay Wanda…" said Blake as he closely monitored her pulse and breathing, "I promise you…You're gonna be okay."

It gave him little comfort, knowing that he had failed to protect her when he swore that he would. But he would have plenty of time to kick himself for this after they got Wanda the proper treatment. Whatever the Nasty Boys had blasted her with, it had been very damaging…But thankfully, it didn't kill her. The effects of the blast were strange because Blake had damaged the gun during the fight…But it was still devastating enough to cause undue harm. And the more he thought about it…The stranger it seemed to him, for it almost felt somewhat…Familiar.

Pietro kept talking to Wanda, telling her that he was here and he didn't want to lose his sister again. Among all the other members of the Brotherhood, he was by far the worst. Not only had he been the one who should have taken that blast…But because of his cocky arrogance, he didn't do a thing to prevent it. If he had just paid more attention to what was happening then maybe…It could have been different.

Blake had saved him from being the victim this time and because he had gotten himself into trouble, he was forced to spread his guard and leave Wanda the only target. It was a something Pietro's conscious tortured him about…Knowing he had given Blake such a hard time, yet he still saved him from the blast and now Wanda was suffering because of it. He didn't want to lose his sister again…Not now, not ever. His fears were now getting the better of him as the jeep came to an abrupt halt and Blake quickly took Wanda and his arms and ran up to the intercom and yelled into it.

"Xavier! I need your help!"

* * *

AN: That's it for now! Boy what an end! The Nasty Boys took on the Brotherhood and I guess you can say it was kind of a draw. But it's not over yet! Things are heating up now as Sinister now has to contend with the possibility of fighting two enemies. This will only cause him to work harder and more ruthlessly towards his goals and knowing him, that can't lead to anything too positive! So what do you all think? Do you want to see more? Do you want to see how things are going to end? Please tell me! Send me your reviews via email or post them on the fanfiction website! All feedback is greatly appreciated! Thank you all very much for reading and I wish you all the best!

YOU KNOW THE DRILL FOLKS! REVIEW!


	16. Hardships

**Between Life and Death  
Chapter 16: Hardships**

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Hey folks! Time for a new chapter! But before that, a quick word for the review!

**Simba317: **I'm glad you liked the witty food comments. Just because this fic deals with a lot of angst and drama doesn't mean it can't have its points of humor. The big fight scene was a lot of fun to write and I'm glad you liked how I went about it. It was a show of what the Nasty Boys are capable of with what they did to Wanda and just how powerful Blake is. Add to that, Pietro's arrogance sort of caught up with him now that his sister's life hangs in the balance. And with Blake at the institute, that means he's in close proximity to Jean once again! So don't worry my friend, it's all going to fall into place! Thanks as always for the super awesome review! They're always a blast to read and I thank you for taking the time to write them! You rock! Peace out!  
**Sentoris: **I'm honored you liked the fight scene so much! It took a while to write, but I'm happy with how it turned out. As for Blake and Jean, you'll see what happens with them eventually, so just sit tight and wait for it all to come to ahead my friend! Thank you so much for the reviews and support you've given me! You rock my friend! Peace!  
**Agent-G: **Well Emma's personality is already pretty much established in this fic, but I've still tried to find ways of making Emma who she is like with some of her oh so witty comments about fast food and Blake's appearance. And with the last fight scene, you'll see the real drama start to begin with the coming chapters my friend so I hope you enjoy it! You rock man! Stay cool like you always do and peace out!  
**Howlerdrode: **Well this is Sinister we're talking about here, so don't always assume he's working in a sound state of mental health! The result of his choices will show later on, so stay tuned my friend and thank you very much for your kind review! Peace out!  
**Heartsyhawk: **You're right about it getting more complicated my friend, for it's all going to come to ahead soon enough! The drama, action, and angst is heating up and it's going to stay strong until it all culminates in the end! Sinister is a very determined, not to mentioned crazed, man so don't think he'll make it easy for everybody, especially Blake and Jean! Well, I hope you continue to enjoy this story and thank you so much for your awesome reviews and tremendous support! You rock my friend! Peace out!

Also, a special thanks to: **Rogue14, Tim Digidestined of Loyalty, Doza, Sprocket, Wen1, Quillian, Randommarvelfan, Jott luuuver, Diaz F, Telepathic Angel, Jenskott, Mark C, Gothik Strawberry, Strayphoenix, Overlord, Ldypebsaby.**

**Also, I have a fic that I'm co-authoring with Agent-G called "Hellfire and Brimstone." It's got Jott, Romy, Wandurt, Kiotr, Loro, and plenty more! Please read and review it! Also, I have another ongoing fic on the adultfanfiction website, so if you want to, go to my profile and check that out as well! And don't forget to review!**

* * *

Blake wasted no time in rushing Wanda down to the institute infirmary. Upon hearing their frantic calls for help and their stressed psychic presence, Professor Xavier opened the gates and let them enter where both Logan and Ororo were the first to see them. Despite the fact that they were still enemies in some ways, the Brotherhood was willing to put that aside for the sake of helping Wanda, who remained in a deathly still state.

"Somebody help me!" yelled Blake as he burst through the institute front doors, startling some students while causing Logan and Ororo to quickly react as the Professor had instructed them.

"Quickly, follow me…" said Ororo as she led Blake towards the elevator with Pietro following close behind.

"What the hell happened! What's all this about?" demanded Logan, always suspicious about having former enemies as well as a total stranger in the institute.

"There was a fight…" said Pietro as they both reached the elevator while the rest of the Brotherhood was forced to stay behind and follow on the next one, "I don't know who they were, but they were mutants and they…They hit her with this weird ray gun and…"

"Who! Who were they?" bellowed Logan, as Ororo quickly started to feel around Wanda's neck for a pulse.

"I just told you! I don't know who the hell they were! I never saw them before!" replied Quicksilver in a rather harsh tone, obviously feeling quite hysterical over his sister's condition.

"Right…That's plausible," said Logan skeptically.

"It's the truth!" yelled Pietro.

"Easy Pietro…" said Blake, "Now is not the time to lose your temper."

"And just who they hell are you anyways?" asked Logan, finding something strange about his scent.

"Blake Hellstrom…And Pietro's telling the truth," he answered, trying to focus more on Wanda than the angry feral mutant before him, "He doesn't know who they are…But I do. And I'll tell you all everything, but first you have to help Wanda!"

"Don't worry," assured Ororo, "She's in good hands."

Pietro was still noticeably weary about having his sister in the hands of the X-men, but if they could save her then it didn't matter. As the elevator door opened and they were led down the hall, Logan quickly called for Hank.

"Beast! We have a situation here!" said Logan as they arrived at the entrance to the infirmary.

Out of the large doors, Hank pushed out a white gurney and looked fully prepared to treat the young woman. Logan assumed it was because the Professor had told him as well of the Brotherhood's arrival. While there were still many questions Logan wanted to ask, being the ever suspicious man he was, there were other problems that had to be tended to first.

"Just set her here," said Hank as Logan and Blake carefully placed Wanda's unmoving body on the gurney, "We'll need to get her hooked up to some heart monitors and administer adrenaline if necessary."

Pietro stayed on the other side of the gurney and kept his eyes on his sister as they wheeled her into the intensive care area, however as they approached the doors, Logan pushed him back.

"Sorry kid, but ya can't come in with us," he said, blocking the speed demon cold in his tracks as Hank and Ororo continued wheeling Wanda into the main intensive care area.

"What!" said Pietro angrily, "No fucking way! That's my sister!"

Pietro was about to lose it against the former living weapon, but Blake quickly restrained him and held him back. However, Pietro put up quite a fight in his hysteria, not wanting to be kept in the dark while his sister's fate was still up in the air.

"I have to see her! You can't keep me!" he kept yelling.

Logan was not in the mood for this, but luckily Blake kept him from making the situation any worse by keeping a strong grip of the frantic young man.

"You need to let them work Pietro!" said Blake as the speedster continued to struggle against him, "Don't make this any more complicated!"

"Bullshit!" said Pietro as he started to lose energy from his struggling, "I have to be there…"

"She'll be okay kid…" assured Logan, trying his best to stay calm, "Just let us do what we have to. We'll do all we can…I promise."

Pietro still kept struggling, but it was slowly dying down as his state of being had pretty much deteriorated into a fit of sorrow. Wanda was now in an unknown state because of him…Because he had acted so stupid in the fight that led up to this mess. It should have been him in there…Not her. She didn't deserve what happened…She didn't deserve a lot of things that had happened to her in life. He had been there when she had suffered and every time it was like somebody was driving huge spike directly through his heart. He still wanted to be there…To be by her side for a change rather then having her fight this all by herself like she had been forced to with so many other things in life. What kind of brother was he to let her suffer like this? What kind of person did that to his own sister?

Pietro finally collapsed to the floor as Blake let go. Todd, Freddy, and Lance arrived just in time to see Wanda disappear into the infirmary and watch the disturbed speedster fall in the face of his self loathing. Blake's expression was unreadable…Like a mixture between being stoic and being distraught. However, the primary focused remained on Wanda. They weren't sure just what had happened to her and for all they know she could be dead already, but nobody wanted to think that now…Nobody wanted to even consider that notion.

"Wanda! Where is she! Is she alright?" asked Todd frantically as he and the others arrived and Lance and Blake helped Pietro back to his feet.

"They just took her into intensive care…" said Pietro in a deep, monotone voice.

"Well is she going to be okay!" said Lance as he turned to Logan.

Blake had to restrain him as well, but Logan kept his cool remarkably and decided to tell them the same thing he had told Pietro.

"We don't know that yet," said Logan, "But we will help her. You'll just have to sit tight and let us do our jobs."

And with that, Logan left the anxious Brotherhood and entered the intensive care area to help Ororo and Hank. Pietro was still tempted to dash in there and be by his sister's side like any brother should have been, but he chose to restrain himself for a change and non-chantingly walked back to one of the chairs outside the area and collapsed in a state of true self hate.

"This is all my fault…All of it," said Pietro as he rested his wary head in his hands.

"Hey come on man…Don't say that," said Freddy as he, Todd, and Lance took a seat as well.

"It's true!" he shot back, "That thing was supposed to hit me! Not her!"

Pietro didn't feel any better about this whole thing by reminding himself of what happened, but he just couldn't stop it from playing over and over again in his head. And for the first time in quite a while…He actually felt tears forming in his eyes. He tried to hold them back with all his might, but it was a challenge that even he couldn't handle.

"What kind of brother am I?" mused Pietro as he angrily punched the wall behind him, "I hurt her, I betray her, and I'm never there for her! I…I'm practically worse than my dad!"

"Whoa, come on man, don't say that," said Lance, surprised to see Pietro like this, "What happened is done, you can't undo it. We were all there…We all could have done something, but we didn't. This whole thing is just…"

"My fault…" interrupted Blake as he still stood staring at the doors where Wanda had been taken.

"Huh?" said Todd, "You're fault?"

Blake let out a deep sigh, for he did not need this to compound his already deeply troubled mind. He had enough trouble dealing with his amnesia and his dreams, but to have this happen just made it worse for him. He had made a promise to Magneto that no harm would come to his children…But he had failed to keep it. Wanda's fate was now unknown and Blake was really kicking himself because of it. Even though he could understand Pietro's grief somewhat, Blake felt it was him who deserved to feel that way.

"It was my job to protect her…" he mused in his deep voice, "It was my job to protect all of you against a foe that is capable of far worse than what they did to Wanda. I should have been there…I should have done more. I have so much power within the palm of my hands…Yet I can't even use it correctly."

"You're wrong Blake…" argued Pietro, "If you hadn't saved my sorry ass, that asshole with the gun wouldn't have fired at her! If I hadn't gotten myself in his sights in the first place then…"

"It doesn't matter…" said Blake, not letting him finish, "I still failed. And you all have nobody to blame for this except me."

"Come on man…" said Lance, "There's only one of you for crying out loud. If you hadn't saved one, he would have shot the other…No way around it."

"No…" he said, shaking his head at Lance's notion, "I could have taken him out…Ended it before it got so bad…But I didn't. I had the power to stop it, but I didn't."

A strong, solemn silence fell over the Brotherhood as Pietro sunk deeper into his worried state and Todd began to feel tears form in his eyes as well. The shock of the battle was still hard to process. There were so many factors that they felt could have been changed, but such a development was just so unexpected. Their lives may have been far from normal, but that didn't make it any easier to deal with.

As they continued to sulk, Professor Charles Xavier wheeled himself into the hall. None of the Brotherhood boys seemed to take too great a note of it, but they knew they would have to being that this was his institute and he was now in control of Wanda's fate.

"Professor Charles Xavier I presume…" said Blake as he approached the wheelchair bound man.

"Yes, and I must say that your sudden arrival has been a rather unexpected development," he answered in a sincere tone, not wanting to add to any more of their apparent worry and grief.

"Well that makes two of us…" said Pietro, feeling a little awkward being in this man's presence, but managed to contend with it for Wanda's sake.

"Indeed…But just so you know, I promise we'll do all we can for Wanda," he assured, "And until then, you all are more than welcome to stay here. I can have some guest rooms set up if you like but…"

"No…I'm staying right down here," said Pietro, "I'm not going anywhere until she wakes up."

"Same here yo…" said Todd, his long standing feelings for Wanda overshadowing any desire to be anywhere else at this point.

The Professor let out a deep sigh, feeling that this may be more difficult than he had expected. But with the all too recent death of Scott still hanging strong in his mind, he could definitely empathize with their situation.

"I suppose that's okay for now…But you will all need rest and I don't want you to feel threatened by being here," said the Professor, "Just know that we're here to help."

As much as Pietro disliked the X-men, if they were willing to help his sister he was willing to accept whatever terms Xavier had. He felt he owed Wanda as much.

"Well…Thanks, I guess," said Pietro, not in the mood to deal with any more complications as he focused back on Wanda.

"Okay then…" said Xavier as he turned back towards Blake, the young man that had sparked so much intrigue throughout the institute since his first appearance over a week ago, "Now I know you all are still troubled by this…But I would very much like to know what happened."

Even though the notion of going over the whole ordeal was not too appealing to anybody, Blake took it upon himself to take care of it. After all…He did know many things that the rest of the Brotherhood didn't. And even though Magneto had told him to keep information about Sinister and the intense conflict with him a secret, he felt it was best if Xavier know now that he was undoubtedly involved.

"Don't worry…I'll tell you everything," said Blake, "But I must warn you…You might no like some of it."

"I've grown somewhat use to that feeling…" said Xavier, "Come…There is much that we need to discuss."

After one last glance at the Brotherhood, Blake followed the Professor to a more private area. He didn't know how Xavier would choose to handle this whole situation and he was fairly certain that he wouldn't like the idea of his students being in danger because of their presence, but Magneto had always told Blake that the Professor was a sincere man who readily helped others whenever he got the opportunity. But despite this, Blake knew he would be going over a few lines in telling Xavier the truth. And even more so…He didn't look forwards to telling Magneto and Mystique about this.

* * *

After their disastrous mishap with the Brotherhood back at the Gut Bomb, the Nasty Boys chose to regroup in an area not far from the city limits. They were now in a specialized armored van that Sinister had constructed for just such an occasion and they would need such hardware if they were to go up against both Xavier and the Brotherhood. And after their last battle, they knew they would have to work smarter instead of harder.

"Okay, so let's go over the plan…" said Ruckus as he and the other Nasty Boys looked over a map of the institute that Sinister had provided them.

"I still think it's a dumb idea," said Betsy, not at all thrilled about fighting Xavier, whom she deeply respected and looked up to.

"Well nobody asked you!" quipped Vertigo, earning her a snide look from the purple haired mutant.

"And don't forget that we have no other choice in this matter," said Ruckus as he continued, "Now we all know that Xavier has a security system on par with Fort Knox and if we're going to beat it and get that test subject of his, we'll have to do it right or fail completely like last time."

"Yeah…And I don't think Sinister will let another failure go unpunished," added Emma, knowing full well the madness of the walking freak show that was Mr. Sinister.

"And that's precisely why we'll succeed this time," said Ruckus, "We were too sloppy before and now that we'll have the X-men to deal with, we can't afford to be sloppy again."

"But I still don't see how we're gonna get around that powerhouse Sinister created," said Gorgeous George as he recalled the intense blasts from Blake that had ended the fight last time.

"We'll just have to improvise Gorgeous," said Ruckus, "And that means that none of us will face him directly. We already know full well that he has the power to blow us all to smithereens so we won't tempt him. This time, we'll have to use hostages and Xavier's school is plenty ripe with them!"

"Yeah…Plenty ripe with super powered mutant teens," said Betsy, "Most of which could probably hold their own now that we don't have that weird ray gun you used last time."

"You're right…But that'll mean we'll just have to fight harder and treat these little punks like any other…Only we can't be afraid to be a little rougher this time around!" said Ruckus with a grin, which only made Betsy and Emma shift rather uncomfortably at the notion of putting kids through something like this.

"And what about collateral damage? Will that not provoke Xavier even further?" said Vertigo, seeing some flaws in this hastily constructed plan.

"At this point, it doesn't matter," said Ruckus, "If we can get that test subject of his back, there won't be any hope for both him and Magneto. Sinister said it himself…The only way to pull off a surefire win is to finish before any of our enemies can do something about it."

The rest of the Nasty Boys nodded in agreement, however both Betsy and Emma were still very uncertain. After the complications that had brought them into this mess, neither of them had any inclination to be a killer. For Emma, she had seen enough of it in the Hellfire Club with assassinations and torture to dissenters and Betsy had experienced enough of it when she was being used by The Hand. And Xavier's students were innocent bystanders in this conflict. They were just kids and this war was strictly between Sinister and Magneto. But such desperate times were calling for desperate measures and a man like Sinister was willing to go to any means to get what he wanted out of this struggle.

"So now we know we gotta take a few hostages…Any idea who?" asked Gorgeous, not usually one who was best equipped to plan elaborate things like this.

"Well the Brotherhood's there so there's definitely them," said Ruckus.

"Oh please," scoffed Emma, "You couldn't even get a hand on them last time, why bother trying again?"

"Because with the Scarlet Witch out, they'll be weakened and careless because of their anger and if we move fast we may be able to catch them off guard," said Ruckus as he looked at the blueprints of the infirmary where he was sure they were probably holding up.

"And I would think it would be best to go after the speed demon again," said Vertigo, "What better bargaining chip against Magneto than his own son? After all, he was willing to risk sending out the test subject in order to protect him and Wanda."

"Good idea…So Quicksilver's the target!" said Gorgeous with a grin, eager for a second chance at the Brotherhood.

"I still say you're making a mistake with them…" said Emma as she grew increasingly distasteful of this whole thing.

"Emma, when I ask for your opinion, I'll let you know…But if not, do as all a favor and SHUT UP!" yelled Ruckus, feeling quite annoyed with Emma's comments thus far.

Emma didn't respond to that, but mumbled to herself, "Fucking loudmouth." And although Ruckus didn't hear it, Betsy did and couldn't help but agree with her as Ruckus got back to planning.

"Okay, so let's make this final," said Ruckus, "Gorgeous and I will take care of the primary defense system on the outside and Psylocke will get the secondary in and around the mansion. And for anybody who tries to come and hold us back, Emma and Vertigo will take care of them. The primary target for hostage taking is Pietro Maximoff, but if we can we should also try and get Mystique's kids as well. Kurt Wagner and Rogue shouldn't be too much of a problem."

"Should we really go so far as to get them both?" argued Betsy, trying to sound more critical of the logistics rather than the plan.

"If we can, we will…" said Ruckus, "Having both would be preferable, but having just one would be acceptable. But we must secure at least two to keep both Xavier and Magneto under control and the children of Magneto and Mystique would be the best way to go."

"What about the test subject?" asked Gorgeous.

"We avoid him at all costs…" he replied, "We can't beat him face to face, but we can assume he'll probably be guarding the hostages so we'll have to spread his watch and catch him off guard. Now we already know he'll probably be around Pietro and Wanda, so it's a pretty safe bet that they'll be in the infirmary in the lower levels and Rogue and Kurt would probably keep their distance and be somewhere in the upper levels. And he can't be in two places at once so we'll get what we need to neutralize his involvement in terms of hostages. I may not know his exact intentions, but I'd say it's a safe bet that Mystique would probably want him to watch her kids as Magneto's. Now remember that we're working on a time limit here and if we do it at night, it'll probably go smoother so we'll wait for mother nature to hide our intensions. Is everybody clear?"

"Definitely!" said Gorgeous with an eager tone, "I'm in the mood for a little payback anyhow and once this job is done, I'm gonna enjoy watching every last one of those punks fry!"

"I too think our last fight entitles us to a little vengeance," said Vertigo in agreement, "I held back last time for the sake of keeping things clean…But I most certainly won't do such a thing again in this oncoming fight."

"Good…Then let's get to Xavier's while there's still daylight," said Ruckus as he folded up the map, "And this time…We will get what we need at ANY cost!"

Betsy and Emma stayed silent as the exchanged worried glances as to where this was going. The rest of the Nasty Boys seemed quite eager for a rematch with the Brotherhood even if it meant going through the better trained X-men in the process. The Xavier Institute was definitely no crowded restaurant, but if they wanted to keep their heads, they would have to succeed. Sinister never was really tolerant on failure and with the stakes this high, it would be even more so.

For Betsy Braddock and Emma Frost, it was a real dilemma. They both respected Xavier in the utmost and didn't want to get him and his students involved with a madman like Sinister. But from the looks of things, they didn't have much of a choice as they all gathered in the van and headed down the road towards the Xavier Institute where their objective awaited them.

* * *

Blake Hellstrom spent the better part of an hour explaining to Professor Xavier and Logan what the situation was and how they came to arriving at the gates of the institute seeking help. While there were many things he didn't know because of his amnesia and there were certain parts he left out, he told them pretty much everything he could, knowing it was best they know now just how serious things had gotten with Sinister.

"And that's why we came here…" said Blake as he finished telling his rather complicated story, "And that's all I know."

"Wait…So let me see if I understand this," said Logan, having chosen to been with Xavier rather than in the intensive care area for the sake of learning how the Brotherhood ended up here, "Some crazy mad scientist named Sinister is out to get you because you're some big test subject of his and Magneto, Mystique, and the Acolytes have been trying all this time to stop him without any of us knowing a damn thing about it?"

Logan's tone didn't sound too convinced of everything and Blake could easily sense that, but this was the definite truth and if they didn't believe him, it would make things all the more difficult when Sinister decided to attack again…This time in greater force.

"I swear to you, it's the truth," said Blake, "Magneto and his Acolytes saved me from becoming Sinister's mindless slave and they've been helping me get back to at least some sense of sanity over the course of the last month. And believe it or not…Neither he nor Mystique wants any of you involved in this conflict for good reason."

"But why?" asked Xavier, who felt there was little reason not to believe what this young man was saying, "Why would Magnus not get all the help he could against a foe so dangerous? We could have accomplished far more together."

"I'm sorry Professor, but Mr. Lensherr didn't want put anyone else through this…" said Blake as he shook his head, "Sinister is a very dangerous man and the conflict between him, Magneto, and Mystique is very personal. Involving more people in this conflict would just put people in danger who didn't have to be. And believe it or not, he still does respect you and consider you a friend so he didn't want to get you or any of your students involved with this heinous force."

"Magneto was that concerned for our well being?" said Logan in a very skeptical tone, "Yeah…THAT sounds plausible. After all the shit this man has done to us…"

"It's the truth!" shot Blake, not willing to hear such denial from someone who hadn't been around Eric and Raven like he had, "Look…I know you may find this hard to believe, but Apocalypse really changed both him and Mystique. Don't think I don't know about their sins, but I know that they are not the same people they were when they committed them. I've been around them…I've spoken to them…I've worked with them. And I know that their intentions are just in this cause! Sinister is a madman who will destroy us all! You have to believe me!"

Logan was about to say something back, but the Professor decided to step in before an all out fight could break out. He didn't see why Blake would lie about something this serious and after seeing Wanda's condition when she came in, he couldn't deny the seriousness of the situation.

"It's okay Blake…I believe you," said Xavier much to Logan's surprise.

"What are you talkin' about Chuck?" said Logan with a growl, "Do you really believe that this guy's tellin' the truth and Magneto and Mystique are actually 'changed' like he says they are!"

"Yes Logan…I do believe," said the Professor confidently, much to Blake's relief, "It would definitely explain why Magneto and Mystique have been under the radar so much lately and it would also explain why the Brotherhood boarding house was fixed up and how all the members got back into school. While I may not know this Mr. Sinister fellow, I do recall Magnus speaking of a man named Nathanial Essex several times in the years I knew him…And I think he fits your description in many ways."

"Yes, I think that could be his real name," said Blake, "But he doesn't go by that anymore. He only goes by Sinister…And trust me, he's not going to stop trying to fulfill his ultimate goal."

"And just what might that be?" asked Logan, still feeling skeptical about this young man's story.

"He wants to create an entirely new species of mutant…One that goes beyond mere Alpha and Omega level classifications," explained Blake from the knowledge that Eric and Raven had trusted him with, "He wants to wipe out the human race and turn every last mutant into one of his mindless, super powered slaves. He's been working on it for years and now it is VERY close to actually happening!"

"How close?" asked Xavier, finding this whole situation becoming more serious by the moment.

"Close as in he's already got a machine capable of taking any mutant and evolving it…Believe me, I know. I went through it!"

"So now you're sayin' that you're some advanced mutant creation of his with all the power and what not that comes along with it?"

Blake let out a rather exasperated sigh, for it had truly been a long day for him. Last night had been very troubling for him mentally and today had been very troubling physically as well. Now that he had brought Xavier into this, the whole conflict was growing beyond any mere sense of control for neither him nor Magneto. The Nasty Boys had already attacked once and injured Wanda and Blake had little doubt that they would probably attack again.

"Yes…I mean, no…" he said, not willing to accept himself as one of Sinister's creations, "I…I didn't go through the whole process…Only most of it. It got to the point where Sinister erased every memory I had and he was about to practically lobotomize me into a mindless slave when Magneto showed up and got me out of there before he could. I already know what he did to me…And he's going to come after me."

"Why would he do that? For what reason would he need you for?" asked Xavier as he looked at the deeply troubled look on the young man's face.

"Because I was his first test subject…" said Blake, feeling quite bitter about bearing such a title, "As advanced as he made me…There were still flaws in the process and if he wants to calibrate his machine to absolute perfection like I know he wants to, then he'll need me back."

"I thought you said that machine of his was destroyed?" said Logan, as he started to take some of this more seriously.

"It was…But he's already working on another one…Magneto is sure of it and I wouldn't doubt it," said Blake, "He's already ordered the Nasty Boys to steal an array of advanced hardware to make another machine and since he got the first one right, he'll probably be able to finish a new one in a fraction of the time. In fact, he's probably got it done for the most part now and only needs me and my blood to calibrate it. That's probably why he sent the Nasty Boys after me and the Brotherhood."

"Well you don't have to worry about them getting to you anymore," assured Xavier, "Both you and the Brotherhood are quite safe here and I will step up security just as a precaution."

"I appreciate you believing me Professor…But that probably won't be enough," said Blake with a sigh as he sunk into the chair he was sitting in, "You could have all the security in the world and it still wouldn't stop Sinister and the Nasty Boys. He'll fight through it…There's no doubt about. He needs me and he won't stop until he gets me…I'm just sorry that I have to put your students into danger by being here."

"You ain't in any danger here and neither are the students!" said Logan sternly, "I don't care who this Sinister nutcase is or what kind of mutant team he's got, but NOBODY is gonna get through to anybody without going through me first!"

"I appreciate your concern Logan, but trust me…That's not enough," said Blake, "And I wish I could leave…But I can't. I still have a promise to keep."

"Promise? What promise?" asked Xavier.

"I promised Magneto that I would watch over an protect his kids and I promised Mystique I would do the same for Kurt and Rogue if I ever had the chance…" said the young man in a solemn tone, "And since I've already failed at that in some ways, I might as well make up for it. I owe them both that much."

A heavy silence soon fell over the three individuals in Xavier's office took in the situation. Wanda was now injured and the Brotherhood was stuck here. And on top of that, the Nasty Boys were still out there and probably still bent on fighting back against them since they failed to succeed last time. And now with Xavier and the X-men involved, things were more complicated than ever.

Blake had a lot bearing down on him now. Not only were his dreams getting worse, but he had failed to protect someone he had vowed to and he now had told Xavier everything about this conflict…Bringing him into this uncertain secret war that seemed only to get worse with each passing moment.

"Well safety or not Blake…You and the Brotherhood are more than welcome here," said Xavier in a sincere tone, "While I don't doubt the severity of the situation you have told us, at least know that you won't have to go through it alone now. I promise I'll do what I can to safeguard the Brotherhood and the rest of my students. And until then, I'll see to it that you can keep your watch over Wanda and Pietro as well as maybe getting Rogue and Kurt to cooperate…But I can't promise you too much on the latter."

It was somewhat of a comforting feeling to know that Xavier would take this situation seriously even if others like Logan wouldn't. But he didn't doubt that they were both concerned for the well being of the students and he would have to contend with their involvement now whether he liked it or not…He felt he owed them that much for helping Wanda.

"Thank you Professor Xavier…" said Blake gratefully, "Mr. Lensherr told me that you were a sincere man and I hope we can all avoid facing more complications despite Sinister's determination."

The Professor couldn't help but smile upon hearing what he had said about Magneto's sentiment, for he had not had many reasons to smile since Scott's death. Blake on the other hand, had an expression wrought with sorrow and uncertainty, for he was still kicking himself for not being there for Wanda and the rest of the Brotherhood. Xavier seemed to notice this as Blake sunk into his chair in a rather defeated stupor.

"Well if there's anything else you think we need to know, please be sure to tell us," said Xavier as Blake stood up and turned to leave.

"I've already told you everything…" said Blake, "But believe me, if there was more I would surely let you know."

"Very well then…" said Xavier as he prepared to go and check up on Wanda while Logan would be left to inform the students upstairs who were probably curious over the whole matter, "Now if there's anything else I can get you and your friends Blake, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you Professor…" said Blake, who felt very much relieved at the Professor's help thus far, "But I think we'll be okay for now…I just need to make a phone call."

"Okay, well you can use the one upstairs for that," he said, "And if something comes up with Wanda, I'll be sure to tell you."

With a solemn nod, Blake left for the elevator, but not before noticing Logan flashing him one last suspicious look. He chose to ignore it though, for he had more troubling issues at hand…Like informing Mystique about what had happened.

"Do you really trust this guy Chuck?" said Logan, still unable to get over the strange scent that the young man gave off.

"He's given me no reason not to Logan…" said Xavier.

"Why, did ya sense something?"

"No…In fact I sensed absolutely nothing from him…His mental shields are just as great, if not more so, than Mystique's," said Xavier.

"Then there's a good chance he may be hiding something," growled Logan, always one to let suspicion overshadow trust when it came to dealing with strangers to the institute.

"No…I don't think that's the case with this young man…" said Xavier, seeming quite certain of his perceptions.

"How do you know that?" said Logan skeptically.

"That's just it Logan…I'm not sure," said Xavier with a sigh, which only served as a source for more confusion on the part of both him and Logan, "But there's just something about this young man that seems…Different. I can't explain it, but for some reason…My instincts say we can trust him. I don't know whether or not I'm right or wrong…But for now, let's just deal with one crisis at a time, shall we?"

* * *

Up on the first floor of the institute, Blake found a phone in a secluded hallway not far from the den. He had been careful to avoid the other students as he navigated his way through the institute, for he felt it was best they not know just how great of danger they were in at the moment. There would be plenty of time to panic later on, but for now he had more pressing issues at hand.

As he picked up the phone and dialed the one number he had been given just in case something like this happened, Blake couldn't help but worry about what the Nasty Boys were going to try next. If they were this willing to hurt others in order to simply get to him, then how far would they go to fulfilling Sinister's intentions?

The phone began to ring, but it only took two before he heard someone answer.

"Hello?" said a familiar voice over the other line.

"Raven…It's Blake," he said in a deep, monotone voice.

"Blake!" exclaimed Mystique, not expecting to be getting a call from him at a time like this, "What's going on? Why are you calling?"

"I'm…At the Xavier institute," he said, knowing she probably wasn't going to like what he was saying one bit.

"The institute! Why? What happened?" she said, knowing full well they had told Blake not to go there unless it was absolutely necessary.

"The Nasty Boys…They found us," said Blake, "And they attacked us. I…I took the Brotherhood out for lunch at the Gut Bomb. But…The Nasty Boys were there waiting for us. A pretty big fight ensued…And Wanda was caught in the crossfire by some strange paralyzing gun."

Mystique felt a twinge of horror as she heard Wanda's name, for she had grown rather close to her in the months after returning from Apocalypse's control, but Blake wasn't done yet.

"She survived the blast," he said, "But it had some very harsh effects on her and we weren't sure if she was going to survive…So we rushed her to the institute and now she's in the infirmary along with the rest of the Brotherhood. I…I'm sorry Mystique. It's all my fault."

Mystique took a moment to let all this sink in, for this whole conflict had just gone from bad to worse. She knew Sinister was ruthless and this only served to show it even more, but now with this unexpected turn of events, it proved that Sinister was very close now and if he was already trying to attack, it was logical to assume that he was ready to finish what he started.

"No, it's not your fault Blake…" she said as she took in the seriousness of this new situation, "You did the right thing in taking Wanda to Xavier's. The Nasty Boys are no joke…I've seen them do far worse."

"But I could have stopped them!" he exclaimed as he angrily slammed his fist against the wall, making a dent because of his strength, "I had the power to blow them all away and end it before it got so bad…But I didn't."

"That was probably their plan…Distraction," said Mystique, knowing all too well the fighting tactics of the Nasty Boys, "They probably know they can't beat you head to head…So they'll probably resort to hostages."

"Yeah…I figured that," said Blake, feeling all the more anxious about this, "I can't stay here…I'm putting everyone in danger Raven! Sinister doesn't want anybody here…He just wants me! I have to find a way to draw him away from everybody!"

"It's too late for that Blake," replied Mystique, "There's no way to divert Sinister's focus now…He'll do anything now to get you back and that probably means taking hostages and threatening to torture them in a way only he can! You have to stay there! You have to protect them!"

"But how can I accomplish that if I couldn't do it earlier?" groaned Blake, still not forgiving himself for what had happened to Wanda.

"Don't say that! I know you can! You must!" urged Mystique, "We need you to beat Sinister once and for all!"

Feeling the weight of such a tremendous responsibility bearing down on his weary shoulders, Blake let out a deep sigh as he once again felt determined to do his part in the war against Mr. Sinister.

"Okay…What do you want me to do?" he asked, ready to stop sulking.

"Just stay there and keep a close eye on everyone and help Xavier beef up security…Although I doubt it will be enough," she said over the line, knowing this was a serious development that would have to done right if they were to stop Sinister, "I'm going to call Eric and tell him exactly what you told me. We'll all probably meet at the institute…I'm fairly certain he'll want to see Wanda and make sure she's okay."

"Right…I'll let Xavier know," assured Blake.

"Good, and I'm coming too…" she said, although she didn't sound too enthused about going to the place where her children who hated her so much lived, "Just do me one big favor in the mean time…"

"Of course…Anything," said Blake, wanting to make up for his failure.

"Watch over my kids…" she said as she hung up her cell phone and promptly turned her motorcycle around and headed back down the long road to Bayville and the Xavier Institute where her children awaited her.

* * *

AN: That's it for now! Man, things have gotten rough for both sides now! The Nasty Boys had no more room for failure, Betsy and Emma are in a rather uncomfortable position, and Xavier is now involved with this conflict! Things are heating up as Sinister's plan nears its culmination and Blake/Scott is the main target! There's still more to come and I hope you stay tuned to see the stunning events that will bring everything to ahead! So what do you think thus far? How has this story been for you? Please tell me! Email me your reviews to my address or post them on the fanfiction website! I urge everybody to send me feedback and I hope you all have enjoyed reading this and I wish you all the best!

FEED ME! I NEED REVIEWS!


	17. Familiarity And Confusion

**Between Life and Death  
Chapter 17: Familiarity And Confusion**

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Hey! Time for a new chapter! But before that, a quick word to my reviewers!

**Quillian: **I'm glad you've been enjoying this fic so far my friend! Things with Blake/Scott are going to come to ahead soon, so I hope you like drama and suspense because there's plenty of it coming! Thanks again buddy! You rock! Peace out!  
**Simba317: **You always feed me the most my friend! And for that, I try and update as soon as I possibly can with this and all my stories! I'm honored you think so highly of it because this fic is actually an idea that's been in my head for two years and I'm only now getting to write it! What happened to Wanda last chapter was just the catalyst and the Brotherhood along with the X-men are going to need each other with what's to come! As for Betsy and Emma, you'll see the kind of role they play soon enough! Thanks again for all your kind words! I always really appreciate it! You rock! Peace out!  
**Aaron: **I'm honored you like my story thus far my friend! It really means a lot to me. The interaction with Blake and the Brotherhood was really fun to write because they don't know who Blake really is…Yet. Even without his memories, he's still Scott at heart whether he knows it or not. As for Magneto and Mystique, they'll come in soon enough! I hope you continue to enjoy this fic and thanks for your support! Peace out!  
**Agent-G: **Don't worry my friend, Jean will meet "Blake" later this chapter! And trust me…What happens there will have ramifications that will definitely come into play! Thanks as always for the kind review my friend! You rock man! Peace out!  
**Strayphoenix: **Don't worry, there's a little moment in this very chapter I think you may find insightful my friend! Oh, and I just checked out your one-shot fic and reviewed it! Great job! I really liked it! I hope you like my fic just as much! Thanks for the review!  
**Sentoris: **Well I'm glad you're enjoying the suspense so far my friend! Believe me, it'll keep coming with what's to come! The Nasty Boys have their mission and they'll do anything to carry it out. Only this time, Xavier's involved and that's going to add a multitude of new issues! I can't thank you enough for all the kind words you've given me with this fic and I hope you continue to enjoy it! You rock! Peace out!  
**Jenskott: **Want to see what happens when Jean meets "Blake?" Read on the find out my friend! I've showed that he's still Scott in many ways, but as long as his head is messed up, he's still Blake Hellstrom. But it'll all going to come to ahead soon enough! Stay tuned and I hope you enjoy it! Peace!

Also, a special thanks to: **Randommarvelfan, Howlerdrode, Doza, Mark C, X00001, Gothik Strawberry, Wen1, Tim Digidestined of Loyalty, Rogue14, Jott Luuuver, **

**Also, I have a fic that I'm co-authoring with Agent-G called "Hellfire and Brimstone." It's got Jott, Romy, Wandurt, Kiotr, Loro, and plenty more! Please read and review it! Also, I have another ongoing fic on the adultfanfiction website, so if you want to, go to my profile and check that out as well! And don't forget to review!**

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Blake Hellstrom hung up the phone and simply stood in a daze at the situation he was in now. Not only was he struggling with his own personal issues with amnesia, but now the Brotherhood was in turmoil, Wanda was in the infirmary, he was in a place he didn't know and where nobody trusted him, and now Mystique and Magneto were on their way here. Just when he thought he was finally making some genuine progress with the Brotherhood, this has to happen. Now he didn't know if he could even face Magneto after letting his daughter get injured like this when he was supposed to be protecting her. And that's not taking into account the guilt he felt for being the one who drew the Nasty Boys to them in the first place. After all, it was HE who was their target…Not them.

As he sulked in a deep state of thought, Kurt and Kitty turned down the hallway and saw the young man standing over the phone. Immediately, they ducked behind a corner and looked back with shock at the sight of the stranger that they had seen in school hanging around the Brotherhood standing in the institute.

"It's him…It's Blake," said Kitty as she and Kurt spoke in voices low enough so that the distraught young man wouldn't hear.

"I know…But vhat is he doing here?" replied Kurt, knowing full well that this young man had been a total mystery to both them and the Professor since they learned about him over a week ago.

"I have no idea. Do you think he was part of that commotion earlier?" suggested Kitty, remembering some of the frantic rumors that had been circulating around the institute for the past few hours.

"I vouldn't doubt it," said Kurt, "I vonder vhat the Professor is doing letting him in like this? I mean…Ve still don't know anything about him. He's really not one to talk much in school."

"Yeah, like, there's got to be a reason for why he showed up though," said Kitty as she and Kurt continued to watch the young man stay stuck in his daze.

Just then, Rogue appeared walking down the hall and spotted Kurt and Kitty hiding behind a corner for some reason, peaking over in a sneaky fashion that Rogue merely scoffed as them being mischievous together like they so often were.

"What are the two of you up too this time?" said Rogue, startling Kurt and Kitty from behind, "What's so…"

"Shh!" said Kitty as she cut Rogue off, "Quiet! See for yourself…"

Upon seeing the seriousness on both Kurt and Kitty's face, Rogue quickly ascertained that this wasn't some usual mischief and when she looked around the corner and saw Blake still standing there, she quickly fell just as silent as them and felt a new wave of suspicion come over her.

"Him! What's he doing here?" she said in a low, yet serious voice.

"That's vhat ve're trying to figure out," said Kurt, "Ve figure it has something to do vith all that commotion Bobby vas talking about earlier."

"I guess it was true for a change…" said Rogue, knowing Bobby wasn't always the most reliable source for rumors, although in the wake of Scott's death things had been getting more serious around the institute as a whole.

"Bobby said he came in here with the Brotherhood earlier," said Kitty, "They looked really anxious about something and pretty much disappeared into the lower levels before anybody could really learn what was going on."

"But if they're down there…Then why is this guy up here?" pondered Rogue as she turned to get another glimpse of the mysterious man that had appeared out of nowhere so quickly.

"Beats me…" said Kitty as she and Kurt turned to take another look as well, "But you have to admit…Something about him seems…I don't know, strange."

"Yeah…You're right," said Kurt in agreement as he looked closer with intent, "I just can't quite put my finger on it, but…"

Blake was still in a daze as Kurt, Kitty, and Rogue continued to look with intrigue over the young man. He was not having a very good day to say the least and he had a lot on his mind. However, he wasn't stupid. Then, as the three younger mutants were still watching him, he let out a deep sigh and spoke.

"You three can come out now…I know you're there," said Blake, not turning to face them, but knowing they were listening to him.

Kurt, Kitty, and Rogue were definitely overcome with shock upon hearing this, for they thought they had been stealthy about this. After all those hours practicing sneaking maneuvers and such, they would have thought they had the ability to avoid detection better…But Blake knew they were there now and they soon found themselves come out of hiding to face him.

"How did you know we were there?" said Kitty, surprised by the young man's senses.

"Wasn't too hard…" he replied in his deep voice, "In addition to seeing the conspicuous heads peaking from behind the corner, you guys don't exactly have the quietest whispering voices."

Such a reason wasn't too uplifting to the three younger mutants as they approached Blake, but he didn't seem to give off any kind of threatening presence despite his membership with the Brotherhood.

"Don't feel too bad though," he added, "My hearing is also shaper than you think."

Such words didn't lighten the mood much, but Blake wasn't all that concerned with it as he looked at the three X-men standing before him. He could probably guess that he wasn't exactly very welcome in this institute given his dealing with the Brotherhood and not taking into account that they didn't know about him working for Magneto. But he didn't want them to think too harshly of him because of his allegiance, for he knew who was standing before him.

Kurt Wagner and Rogue were both the children of Mystique and this was actually the first time he got a chance to see them up close like this. He remembered his promise to Mystique…The one where he vowed to protect her children as well as Magneto's. But his confidence wasn't exactly the best at this point after what happened to Wanda. Never the less, they were probably in just as much danger now and it would only be a matter of time when Sinister pulled another move.

"So then…Why are you here?" asked Kitty as Blake continued keeping a rather grim expression on his face.

Blake didn't know if he should let them in on the situation. It was bad enough at this point and they would probably sleep easier if they didn't know. But despite this, they would probably have to know if they were to be vigilant against the Nasty Boys and Sinister.

"I'm here with the Brotherhood because there was a fight," he explained, "It was between us and a group called the Nasty Boys. They were after me…But Wanda got caught in the crossfire and was seriously injured in the process."

"Oh man…Is she okay?" asked Kurt.

"I don't know yet…She was in pretty bad shape when we brought her here," said Blake, still not forgiving himself for what happened to her, "And it's my fault she had to get involved in this to begin with. I was supposed to be protecting her…But I failed."

Blake's explanations brought more questions than answers for the three curious mutants as tried to decipher the meaning behind this strange situation. Even though they truly didn't know the mystery behind this man, they didn't doubt the graveness in his tone.

"You were supposed to protect them?" said Rogue, feeling there was probably more to it than that, "Why? Just what is it that's got you workin' for the Brotherhood? Did they frame you or something?"

"No…They didn't frame me," answered Blake, "I volunteered to join, lead, and protect them."

"You volunteered?" said Kitty skeptically, who had a more negative view of the Brotherhood than most others ever since her unpleasant breakup with Lance, "Why on Earth would you do that?"

"As a favor to a friend…" answered Blake.

"I didn't think the Brotherhood had many friends," said Rogue, "They aren't exactly the most welcoming of groups."

"It was a favor for Mystique and Magneto," said Blake, causing the three other mutants to tense upon hearing that name, "There was a threat to his children…And they had saved my life from a fate worse than death…I owed them. So I joined the Brotherhood with the simple duty to protect them from a force that was out to get them in order to strike back against Magneto for saving me."

"Well I don't know how new you are to this whole thing," said Rogue, finding it hard to believe that someone thought so highly of the Brotherhood and Magneto, "But Magneto and the Brotherhood ain't exactly model citizens. If someone's out to get them, then they probably have a damn good reason and they probably deserve it."

Upon hearing that, Blake knew his promise to Mystique would be quite harder. She had told him that they didn't think to highly of her or the Brotherhood, but given the danger of the current situation, it was definitely a mixture for conflict that Blake didn't want to deal with at this point…Not when things with Sinister were getting so heated.

"If you know just what they were up against and just how much things have changed in the past year, then you may think differently…" said Blake cryptically, not up for getting into an argument with the people he was supposed to protect.

"Like, yeah right!" said Kitty, "Since when has Magneto or Mystique ever done anything that didn't involve destruction or murder?"

"Since Apocalypse…" answered Blake, "Whether you choose to believe me or not, it's the cold hard truth. There's a good reason why the two of them disappeared in wake of the Apocalypse incident…There's a reason why the Brotherhood house was fixed up and they were given another chance at school…And there's a reason why the Acolytes were reformed and why they haven't bothered you in the slightest ever since."

"After everything they put us through!" exclaimed Kurt, still not believing it one bit, "Do you really expect us to believe that?"

Blake ran his hands through his short blonde dread locked hair and sighed. Mystique told him that they probably wouldn't like even the slightest mention of her, Magneto, or the Brotherhood, but if they were to at least trust him on the level of danger they were in, then that would be enough. However, just as Mystique said…They were quite stubborn.

"Look…I can't show you I'm right," said Blake as he began to get a little frustrated, "It's up to you whether or not to take me seriously. But know this…You all are in danger now that I'm here and there's no way around it. The enemy I'm talking about is many times worse than Magneto or Mystique could ever be…And it's because of them and the Acolytes that everything hasn't gone to hell. Now you don't like them because they were enemies…But don't assume for a second that things can't change."

"Hey, don't get mad at us punk boy!" said Rogue as she started to get a little confrontational, "Just because they saved your sorry ass doesn't make them saints!"

Kurt ended up holding Rogue back somewhat as she grew increasingly frustrated with this stranger who she didn't feel to comfortable having in her home. But much to her surprise, Blake didn't respond with anger…He responded with a slight laugh.

"You are definitely Raven's daughter…It really shows," he said, somewhat humored by the familiar look on her face.

"What!" exclaimed Rogue, "Don't you EVER compare me to that woman! Or I swear I'll…"

"Don't take it as an insult Rogue…" said Blake, somewhat surprised at her reaction, "I'd be proud to have a mother like Raven…I'd be proud to have a mother, period. Don't think I don't know her past and what she's done and don't think I don't know what Magneto's done as well. But I've talked to them, I've lived with them, and I've gotten to know them. And I've come to see that they are genuinely good people…They've made some mistakes, but at least they know what they've done and feel remorse for it."

"Remorse and my mother?" said Kurt skeptically, "Vhy should ve believe any of this? Vhy shouldn't ve believe that this isn't just another trick?"

Kurt had a point and Blake had no way of disproving it. He only had his word to go on and that didn't mean a whole lot to these three young mutant teens who probably saw him as an enemy despite the times he helped them back at the school. But there was only so much he could do and he knew first hand that Raven wanted more than anything to do what was best for them. He could only try and help them see it…For it was all up to them in the end.

"I guess I don't have an answer to that…I only have my word," said Blake, "That may not amount to much with you, but you don't know me…So don't judge me. I know Mystique and Magneto…And I know they both do truly love their kids as any parent should. A lot of things just got in the way and Apocalypse helped them see that."

"Oh come on! You really can't expect us to believe they've changed just because of Apocalypse," scoffed Rogue.

"You can't expect for them not to either…" argued Blake, "Now they feel remorse, but nobody is listening to them. You all are just assuming based on the past and not the present."

"Well why shouldn't we?" shot Kitty, "Given their track record…"

Blake just paused for a moment, taking a brief instant the think about how he was going to respond to this. He knew he wasn't the best one for this job and he honestly would rather be fighting the Nasty Boys than be put in this rather uncomfortable position, but despite his inherent frustration, he kept his cool and simply sighed.

"Just…Before you assume the worst like I know you probably are right now…Do me one favor," said Blake, "Ask yourself…What if?"

"What if?" said Rogue, not seeing the logic behind such words.

"Yes…What if I'm right? What if Mystique is telling the truth and really does feel remorse for what she's done and wants to make up for it? What if she and Magneto truly did change as a result of Apocalypse? What if she really does want to be the mother to you that I both know you want deep down? And say she does and you both keep doing what you're doing now and scoff at the notion simply because of the mistakes she's made in the past. She tries to protect you and wants to make amends…But you don't do shit about it. And for all her remorse and all her regret…She gets nothing out of it but bitterness and sorrow. And because of that…She'll probably end up going back to her old ways. And this time it would be YOUR fault…Not hers."

Blake's words were a lot harsher than he would have wanted them to be, but he was determined to prove a point. He may have had amnesia, but he didn't lose his sense of humility when it came to seeing people for who they really are. And this time…He didn't hear either of them scoff or scowl him in response. Instead, they were all silent as they took in what he was saying.

"I can't tell you how to get over your past with her…" he said in a slightly calmer voice, "But what good is feeling so much remorse and sorrow for what you've done in the past if nobody believes you? Now I'm not going to let myself be caught in the middle of your family issues, so I'm not going to say anything more about this subject. I guess it's all up to you…But take it from someone who has absolutely nothing…Don't throw it away!"

And with that, Blake chose to make his leave and return to the infirmary to check on Wanda, leaving a bewildered Kurt, Rogue, and Kitty behind him. As much as they disliked Mystique, Blake had given them something to consider. It seemed like an impossible notion…Mystique and Magneto actually reforming themselves. But they lived in a house full of telepaths, manipulators of the elements, and room full of death traps that they used as a gym…What was impossible?

As Blake nearly disappeared from sight, Kurt chose to try and stop him, for he still had more questions.

"Blake, vait!" he said as he started going after him.

However, the mysterious young man wrought with amnesia simply turned to face the younger mutant and said only one last thing.

"Sorry…But I think I've said enough," said Blake, "If you have any other questions…I suggest you take them up with your mother when she arrives later."

Upon saying that, Blake left the area…Leaving only a more bewildered and anxious Kurt, Kitty, and Rogue behind them. They knew he was serious, for he did not fit the profile of someone who joked around with stuff like that and they whole heartedly believed him when he said that Mystique was coming to the institute.

* * *

Down in the infirmary, the Brotherhood continued to wait outside the doors of the infirmary in deathly silence. Nobody had said a word in the nearly two hours they had been there. From what they knew, Storm and Hank were still in there treating Wanda…And for all they knew she could be dead already. But nobody wanted to think of such a horrible notion…Not now, not ever. Pietro was by far the worst and he had been this still before and it was truly an unusual and surprising sight for the Brotherhood. Normally, he was so energetic and all over the place…But now, he hadn't moved more than an inch ever since he had been forced to stay out of the intensive care area. And because of this, some of the others were starting to get worried.

"They've been in there too long…" said Lance, starting to get worried, "Something's not right here."

The ever confrontational young man then got up with every intention of storming the intensive care area and seeing for himself just what Xavier and his staff was doing for her. However, Freddy and Todd quickly stopped him, not wanting to see him go off one of his temper tantrums and make the situation worse than it already was.

"Dude, just chill Lance…" said Freddy as he stopped the younger man from lashing out like he knew Lance wanted to.

"Yeah…Don't make it worse," said Todd in a deep monotone voice that seemed so unlike his usual tone.

"I can't help it!" he said angrily, "This is all wrong…This can't be happening."

"Well it is Lance!" said Freddy in a more assertive voice, "I don't like it any more than you, but it's happening! And things are bad enough as it is without dealing with one of your stupid temper tantrums!"

That got Lance to calm down somewhat as he forced himself to take a deep breath. Usually, he'd never be this edgy…But one of his friends was in the infirmary for crying out loud. It didn't help that he wasn't exactly too trusting of the X-men, having been rejected from this place by both the teachers and students when he tried to join. But there was little else he could do and their choices had always been limited. After his breakup with Kitty, his views on the X-men as a whole didn't change much to say the least…For they only got worse. Having faith in their ability to treat Wanda wasn't nearly as easy for him as it may have been for the others, but as the Brotherhood's history so often showed…They had few options in the matter.

Pietro hadn't moved an inch despite Lance's outburst and had been in pretty much the same state since they all arrived. Personally, he could understand Lance's feelings, but he was in too much of a stupor to be angry or suspicious. If Xavier could treat and save Wanda, then that was good enough for him. Right now, the past between the Brotherhood and the X-men was irrelevant for the sake of his sister…Whom he desperately didn't want to loose again.

As Lance returned to his seat and the room fell silent once more for a while, the Brotherhood continued to wait and worry. Then finally…The doors to the intensive care area opened and Hank stepped out. Immediately, Pietro shot up from his position as everybody now looked with intent at the ape-like mutant.

"How is she?" said Pietro, hiding the strain and worry in his voice, "Is she going to be okay?"

The look on Hank's face didn't seem too promising or hopeless either way, but he and Storm had worked feverishly on the young woman they had brought in and the final verdict was still somewhat questionable.

"Well I must say, Ms Maximoff's injuries were quite strange," he said, looking exasperated from all his work to help her, "You say she was hit with some kind of ray gun?"

"Yeah…I was there! I know she was!" said Pietro defensively.

"I don't doubt that Pietro…" said Beast, not wanting to insinuate anything that would make him or the rest of the Brotherhood any more volatile, "It's just that her condition was very unusual. She was in a strange state in between a coma and deep unconsciousness. Whether or not she crossed the threshold is still something I'm uncertain of…But either way, you were very lucky to get her here so soon. I'd hate to think what would have happened if you hadn't."

"So she's okay?" said Todd, looking somewhat more hopeful upon hearing Beast's words.

"Well like I've said, I've never dealt with something like this before, so I can't say with an absolute certainty…" he said, not wanting to give them any false hope, "But I think that in my expert opinion…She'll be okay."

Even though he was an X-man and the rest of the Brotherhood were not very trusting of many people, they did take those words to heart and breathed a much welcome sigh of relief. So much uncertainty was replaced by hope as the stress of this day for them finally seemed like it was starting to unravel…At least they hoped.

"Thank you…" said Pietro with a sigh of relief.

"You're most certainly welcome my speedy friend," said Hank with a smile, glad that the Brotherhood wasn't showing any animosity for once and actually proved to have a genuine concern for their own like the X-men, "She's not awake yet and her body has received a very powerful shock to the system, but we've managed, after some difficulty, to stabilize her so that her body can heal."

"How long do you think it will be before she wakes up?" asked Todd as the rest of the Brotherhood was now standing, eager for details.

"Well given the unusual circumstances of her injuries, I honestly don't know," said Hank, "Whatever hit her was something unlike anything I'm familiar with. But if nothing too serious arises…Then I'd say in about 12 to 14 hours, she would be strong enough to awaken. But then again…I'm still not too certain."

"Good enough for me," said Pietro, glad that the chances for his sister were no longer so grim, "Can I see her?"

"Of course…" said Hank with a reassuring smile, but I must warn you not to be alarmed by the amount of machines she's hooked up to…For each one of them is helping us monitor her for the slightest change towards danger."

"I don't care…I have to see her," said Pietro.

"Me too yo…" said Todd.

"Well you all can see her…Just know that she's in the best of care now and we'll make sure nothing happens to her," assured Hank as he led the weary Brotherhood into the intensive care area and towards Wanda's bed where her pale, still body was lying in it's motionless state.

Pietro immediately suppressed a sob as he saw his sister hooked up to so many machines, but the gentle beeping noise helped remind him and the others that she was still alive. Never before had they come this close to losing one of their own in the heat of battle…Not since Apocalypse had they ever even encountered one. Yet they had been given a true scare like no other…Nearly having lost one of their members. Being a part of the Brotherhood was like being a part of a bunch of misfits who had been rejected by both humans and other mutants. And as stubborn and cynical they were, they still were a family in many ways and such moments of anxiety like this one only helped to reinforce that.

"I'm sorry Wanda…" said Pietro as he sat besides her bed and touched her cold, clammy hand, "I'm so sorry."

Even though it seemed very unlike Pietro to get so emotional, the rest of the Brotherhood couldn't help but smile in relief. For with Wanda still alive, there was hope now that they could get through this and become stronger in the process. Knowing it was a powerful moment for all of them, Hank and Storm chose to make their leave and let them be alone for a while.

"If you all need anything…Don't be afraid to ask," said Storm, "You can stay here if you want, but we also have spare beds just in case."

"Thanks…But we'll be fine for now," said Lance, still thinking it would be best if the Brotherhood not mingle with the rest of the X-men.

"Okay then…We'll leave you be then."

And with that, the left as the Brotherhood continued to absorb the moment and hold onto the new hope that they had just been given.

* * *

As the hours ticked by and word spread throughout the institute of the Brotherhood's arrival and the situation with Wanda, Magneto, and the Acolytes, Blake chose to sequester himself in the quiet upper levels of the institute since most of the students were clamoring in and around the teachers for detail. He had already been downstairs to check on Wanda and see if she was alright and thanks to treatment she was given by the X-men, he was told that her chances for a full recovery were good. Yet he still found it hard to forgive himself for letting this happen. The Brotherhood still didn't know half of what he knew and it was a great strain on his already weary mind.

Looking at Wanda in her present state had been nothing short of heart wrenching for Blake, for she had been the first one in the Brotherhood to accept him and she had been the nicest to him all throughout his stay a the boarding house. She may have been a little temperamental when it came to certain issues, namely her father, but he knew her to have a genuinely good heart…In some ways more so than the rest of the Brotherhood. For this reason, he found himself unable to bear the sigh of her in that hospital bed for very long before he sought some solitude.

Passing through the upper levels of the institute, he received his share of suspicious looks from the others and they really didn't help. However, he was mostly occupied with other matters at the moment and was too distracted to care.

"This is all my fault…" he said to himself as he dragged himself up through the halls of the institute in search of some peace and quiet to get away from all the horrible complications that had been plaguing him, "None of these kids deserve to be involved in this…What have I done?"

The thought of bring more people into harms way only made things worse for Blake because it tore at his personal sense of responsibility for dealing with Sinister. It was he who this madman was after…Not the Brotherhood, not the X-men, but him. And what if one of these innocent bystanders gets caught in the crossfire just like Wanda? How could he live with himself then?

Blake had a lot on his mind and it didn't help that he wasn't getting any rest. His nightmares had been getting worse ever since last night. If he so much as dozed off for even a minute, he would find himself reliving some of those ghastly images that tore at his mind so greatly…But he chalked such pain up to being one of the heavy side effects to having amnesia.

Blake then passed by what he thought was an empty room, but unknown to him…Jean Grey noticed him. Because of his dazed state, he hadn't seen her…But Jean had seen him and it triggered a very strange feeling within her. Since last night during her unexpected late night drive when she first saw him standing in the window of the Brotherhood boarding house, he had been dominating her mind. Like him, Jean had sought refuge from the others as word of the Brotherhood's presence spread. However, upon seeing him…Her curiosity got the better of her as she felt determined to understand what it was that she had felt last night that had been so strange.

"Hey wait up…" she said as she ran out of her room just in time to catch the mysterious young man before he turned another corner.

Upon hearing her voice, Blake froze and hesitated to turn around and face her. For some reason…That voice triggered something in his mind…Namely his dreams. Now they came to him whether he was sleeping or not and it only served to heighten his confusion about being in this dazed and confused state that seemed like a mixture of the dream world and the real world.

"Hey…Did you hear me? Are you okay?" as Jean slowly approached the imposing young man.

Blake turned to face her. His blue eyes then came into contact with her green eyes and he quickly recognized her.

"Hey…You're that girl from last night," he said in his deep tone.

"Yeah…That was me," admitted Jean as she moved in closer to him and got a better look at his features.

She had to admit, he had a rather intimidating presence. His blonde, dread lock hair and elaborate tattoos that showed on his arm hinted at strength and resilience, even though Jean could sense nothing with her telepathy from his advanced, fiercely guarded mind. And judging by the look on his face, he was far from chipper in his present state. His expression was that of a true enigma…For it said one thing on the surface, yet hinted that there was so much more. Jean had been no stranger to such a look ever since Scott had died and seeing it on someone else only hinted to her that there was far more to this man than he was letting on.

"Who are you?" he asked, curious as to who this girl was and why he had felt such a powerful onslaught of nightmares upon first seeing her.

"I'm Jean Grey…" she said as they both now stood close in one another's presence, "And I've heard about you from the others…You're Blake Hellstrom."

"Or Blaze if you want…" said Blake, all the more curious as to what this Jean Grey wanted with him and why she seemed so shy near him, "So why were you outside the boarding house at two in the morning?"

"Well…Why were you still up?" said Jean, not answering his question directly.

"Couldn't sleep…" he said simply, "But you didn't answer my question…Why were you at the Brotherhood last night?"

"Couldn't sleep either…" she said, however that wasn't any bit as a convincing answer to Blake as his had been to her.

"Yeah right…Do you always go for drives like that when you can't sleep? It seems a little extreme…Unless there was another reason," said Blake, using the same evaluation skills he had on her as he had the Brotherhood when he first arrived. He knew when there was more to a situation and Jean hadn't done a very good job of hiding it for the most part, but she seemed to be aware of it.

"There is…But forgive me for not wanting to tell somebody I just met," she said, not wanting to recall the feelings of turmoil that had plagued her the previous night.

"I can understand that…" said Blake as he saw the somewhat disheartened look on her face, hinting that it was truly a sore subject that she hated to even think about, "I can relate…But still, why were you there? What was it about the boarding house that made you stop in the middle of the road just to look up at my window?"

"That…" began Jean, but she soon found herself overwhelmed yet again with the strange feeling she had felt last night and had to take a moment to filter out those strange thoughts and images that had been causing her so much strain since it happened, "It's complicated…For now let's just say I was curious."

"Curious?" said Blake, not at all sounding convinced, "Come on…That's a weak excuse and you know it."

Jean didn't like being pushed about this topic because it was still a very emotional issue that she was still dealing with as she grew somewhat more frustrated with having to deal with this topic.

"Of course I know it is…" she said, forcing herself to keep her voice from sounding too angry, for losing her temper at a time like this wouldn't make things any better, "I'm not stupid…"

"I never implied that you were…" said Blake, who could see that this was just as confusing an issue for her as it was to him…But in seeing that he couldn't help but wonder why, "I just wanted to know why of all the houses and all the places in Bayville you chose to drive by on a dark Friday night, you chose to park your car right in front of the house I was staying and looked only at the window I was at."

"Well like I said…It's complicated," said Jean, wanting to stay as calm as she could so that she could at least put this issue to rest, for she had enough trouble dealing with Scott's death at the moment, "And…I honestly don't know why I ended up at your home looking into your window but it's just that…"

Jean struggled to search for the right words to describe the strange sensations that drew her towards his window and his gaze…But she just couldn't put any of what she felt into coherent words and she soon found herself stammering before this mysterious young man that had triggered something so strange in the first place.

"I'm sorry…I can't really give you a decent explanation…Because I really don't know," she said, feeling somewhat at a loss, "I guess all I can really say is…Have you ever felt something you didn't understand, yet you could feel it so clearly and so vividly that it just…Overwhelms you in a way that you can't put into words?"

Blake looked back at her with a mix of confusion and awe, for it sounded so much like what he had been struggling with as well. But judging from the look in her eyes, he could see no reason not to believe her.

Suddenly, Blake found himself slowly raising his hand and running down the side of her soft face, taking in the warm sensation of her skin. Immediately, he felt a sudden weakness in his legs and a strange relapse of his nightmares, but he didn't break contact with her. Normally, Jean would have been a little uncomfortable with having a stranger do something like this…But for some reason, it felt right with him.

"Just…Who are you?" she suddenly asked as she looked back into the blue eyes of the confused young man.

"I told you already…My name is Blake Hellstrom," he said.

"I know, but…That doesn't tell me who you are," she said, only causing more confusion within Blake.

"I…I don't know," he stammered, "I…I have amnesia. My memory only goes back about a month."

"A month?" said Jean curiously, finding that span of time to be somewhat strange for it had been exactly a month since Scott had died.

"Yes…One month. Before that…I can't remember anything," he said, "Why?"

Jean felt her heart rate go up as she then took the hand he had kept on her face and lowered it. A strange feeling that had been present in the back of her mind ever since Scott's death was now getting stronger. At first, such a feeling was only the source of nightmares and sorrow…But now it was giving her a new feeling…One she could not explain. And one thing just kept pestering her now that she was desperate to decipher before she went completely crazy…Who was this man?

"Just…Let me try and help you," she said as she raised her hands to the temples of his head, "I know I can…Just let me."

At first, Blake kept all his mental shields up…But as he felt her warm presence start to probe into his head, he let them all down. The warm feeling of her mind in his was…Strange to say the least, for it almost felt as though it was familiar. But he didn't have a whole lot of time to think about this as Jean began to dive deeper into his mind, feeling certain gateways open before her…Almost as if Blake wanted someone to do this for the sake of the clarity he so sorely craved.

His mind was very advanced and complex…More so than any other mind Jean had sensed before. But it was still a mind and she kept going into it…Searching and searching for something she did not yet fully understand.

Soon, she was drawn to the part of his mind that contained his memories and as she suspected, there were huge chunks missing. At first, she saw the most recent memories from the Brotherhood and meeting Magneto and Mystique…But after she got to a certain point, she was suddenly stopped as if there was a brick wall in front of her. This was the point where Blake's memories ended and the nightmares began. Beyond this point was nothing but a formless void of darkness…As if nothing was ever there to begin with. Jean soon found herself pounding on the hard, solid barrier with her fists…Knowing everything around her was pure metaphor because of the nature of the mind. There was something beyond this point…She knew it. Even though there seemed to be nothing but ubiquitous darkness, something inside her said there was far more to this than it seemed.

Jean focused her mind even more, causing Blake to physically grit his teeth in pain as the feeling of someone pounding away in his mind began to grow stronger. The soreness he felt had grown into an all out searing pain as Jean kept trying to break down the barrier. He was about to shove her out…When suddenly, it broke and Jean found herself get sucked into the powerful void. She found it hard to keep her focus as she began to grow weary of being in a place like this…Full of inky blackness. She could see absolutely nothing and it was as if she was swimming in a pool of total darkness. Part of her wanted to leave before she went completely crazy…When suddenly, she saw something up ahead of her.

Blake couldn't take much more of this and Jean could feel it, but that only caused her to work harder to get this strange phenomenon that she had never experienced before in any mind. It was small…Only a mere point of light that looked like a bright star. It was colored a warm, ruby red and only grew brighter as Jean neared it. As she got closer…Suddenly she felt the warm feeling in her mind grow as well, as if this thing was some how reacting to it. It kept getting brighter as she kept getting closer. It was as if she was physically nearing a star or some sort of brilliant celestial object. It was so warm, comforting, and beautiful…And Jean couldn't help but be strangely drawn to it.

Slowly, Jean reached out before her and moved to touch the glowing light that kept getting brighter with each inch she drew nearer. Then…She finally made contact with the mysterious light…And suddenly, blinding flashes began to erupt all around her in every direction from within the thick blackness of the void. Jean then felt a sudden surge of memories go through her mind and was bombarded with a wave of pictures that flashed before her and seemed to emulate from the bright light that had been so powerfully activated by Jean's presence. All the flashes and the fury of activity kept getting more intense and the images that surged through Jean's mind were too great for her to handle.

Then…With a loud yell of pain, Blake forced her out and Jean fell back in shock, nearly loosing her balance in the process. The young man was now clutching his head in agony, as if she had somehow set off a bomb within his mind. He was stumbling for balance now and he was breathing in deep gasps in order to catch his breath. Jean quickly regained her composure and rushed over to him.

"Blake! Blake are you okay?" she said, weary about what she had just done.

However, as she got close to him, he fell back and Jean froze in her place. She didn't want to make things worse even though she had no idea what had just happened. She may have been young for a psychic, but she knew a strange anomaly when she saw one and this was definitely the case. Blake rose slowly and turned back towards her with a look of bewilderment in his deep blue eyes. He didn't say a word…For the sudden onset of the countless sensations in his head kept him from speaking. But as he managed to collect himself…The flashes that Jean set off in his mind started to form some sort of coherence. The strange sensation that each of them felt in their minds grew as the look on Blake's face became a true enigma…As if there were thoughts going through his head that no other human had ever thought before.

"Jean…" he said in a tone that made the young woman's heart skip a beat.

She was about to respond when suddenly…The institute alarm went off and a loud noise began to echo through the halls, causing Blake to suddenly break his train of thought, triggering his old protective instincts that he had promised to use to his full capacity for his friends. And even as the flashes in his mind kept firing off like fire crackers, he managed to determine what it was that was causing this disturbance.

"They're here…" he said in a breathless voice, "The Nasty Boys are here."

While part of him wanted to stay here with this strange girl and find out what it was she had just done to his mind, something inside was telling him that he would find the answers soon enough…For Sinister was connected. In the strange flashes…The eyes of Sinister were a dominant image and if there was any way to find some sort of clarity on his own with his ever tortured mind…It was with the madman who did this to him.

But even as he ran off, Jean Grey was still in a daze as the images she saw and felt while in his mind began to take shape…But she didn't believe what she saw. It was impossible…These thoughts…These images…Were Scott's. At first, it took a moment for her make the connection, but it soon became clear to her as she refocused her mind and filtered out the sound of the alarm. The warm feeling in the back of her head…It felt almost like…Although it couldn't possibly be…The link. Suddenly, it began to make sense…But it wasn't possible…Was it?

"No…It can't be…" she said, feeling as though it was insane to consider something like this, "Scott is dead…It's impossible…It couldn't be…Could it?"

* * *

AN: Okay, I think this is a good place to stop. Now things are getting quite interesting wouldn't you say? Right when Blake/Scott was about to piece together parts of the puzzle, the alarms go off…Some luck huh? Well trust me, it's going to get even more crazy now that the Nasty Boys are at the institute! The next chapter is going to be intense! There's plenty of action to come so I don't think you'll want to miss it! So what do you think of this fic thus far? Has it been a good read? Please tell me! Send me your feedback via email or post it on the fanfiction website! I love getting reviews and they help inspire me to do the best work I possibly can! Thanks a bunch for reading everybody and I wish you all the best!

HURRY UP! REVIEW!


	18. Round Two

**Between Life and Death  
Chapter 18: Round Two**

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It's fight time folks! But first, a quick shout out to my wonderful reviewers!

**Doza: **Wow, I'm honored I was able to evoke so much awe with the last chapter! And don't worry, the action will stay strong until the end my friend! It's coming on strong and if you think the last part got your adrenaline pumping, wait for what I have in store with the next few chapters! The fight with the Nasty Boys and the conflict with Blake, Sinister, and Mystique and her kids will all come to a head eventually…You'll just have to wait and see!  
**Heartsyhawk: **Sorry for the cliffhanger, but here's the next chapter my friend! Although don't be surprised if this and the coming chapters end in a similar manner because it's really going to intensify soon! I'm honored that I've been able to give you another perspective on Scott/Jean because it will play a major role in the events to come. The drama from Blake and the family issues of Magneto and Mystique will all come into play soon enough and I hope you like where I take it! I can't thank you enough for all the wonderful support you've given me my friend. All your reviews have been very inspirational! You rock! Peace out!  
**Simba317: **Yep! It's all building up my friend! And very soon, it'll all come to ahead! You're wonderfully long reviews have been a great source of inspiration with both this and "Hellfire and Brimstone" and they have really been a joy to read all throughout this fic! The issues with Sinister, Magneto and Mystique, and Blake/Scott are all going to come to a head in the next few chapters! Blake's mind has already undergone the first step with what Jean has just sparked within him and Kurt and Rogue have sparked another by not listening to him when he talked about Mystique. It's going to develop real fast as the end of this story fast approaches so I hope you like it and thanks again for such a wonderful, thorough review! You rock my friend! Peace out!  
**Aaron: **You're right my friend, I am a big Scott/Jean fan and I'm not afraid to show it! They are just as vital as a couple as Spidy and MJ or Superman and Lois Lane in my mind and they're my favorite couple to write about! Their part together will come into play soon enough as Sinister's plan unfolds and the mayhem ensues! Thanks a bunch for the review my friend! Hope you like where this goes! Peace out!  
**GothikStrawberry: **Yeah, the Nasty Boys have a way of interfering and this point is no exception. Blake's speech to Kurt and Rogue was fun to write, but consider that he's still Scott and doesn't know the full story…But you'll just have to wait and see how that affects him! Jean opened up a Pandora's box in his mind and the impact of that will show soon enough! Thanks a bunch for the review my friend! I appreciate it! Peace!  
**Ldypebsaby: **Wow, thanks for the double reviews my friend! It was really nice of you to speak so highly of the last two chapters because they will be the most vital as the next few events unfold! Blake/Scott's mind has now been opened up and something unknown has been unleashed by Jean, but it'll only truly come into play as things heat up with the coming chapters! Thank you so much for the review and I hope you continue to read and enjoy my story! You rock! Peace out!

Also, a special thanks to: **Quillian, Howlerdrode, Sprocket, Rogue14, Wen1, Jenskott, Agent-G, Telepathic Angel, Randommarvelfan, Mark C, Livinitup, Strayphoenix, Diaz F, Babyboy2.**

**Also, I have a fic that I'm co-authoring with Agent-G called "Hellfire and Brimstone." It's got Jott, Romy, Wandurt, Kiotr, Loro, and plenty more! Please read and review it! Also, I have another ongoing fic on the adultfanfiction website, so if you want to, go to my profile and check that out as well! And don't forget to review!**

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All throughout the institute, the sound of the alarms blared for all to hear as the Nasty Boys passed the initial boundaries of the institute and made their way through the elaborate security system that dotted the land. But despite these precautions, they did little to slow down the five determined mutants and Gorgeous George and Psylock took the lead and used their powers of strength and psionic blades to blow away the mini-laser torrents and net launchers. Following close behind were Ruckus, Vertigo, and Emma Frost who was keeping tabs on all the minds she could sense through her telepathy.

"They are all on full alert," informed Emma, "We should face their counter attack at any moment now!"

"Goody…" grinned Ruckus, "I hope they brought their ear plugs."

Down in the infirmary, the Brotherhood was still at Wanda's bedside when all the alarms started going off. Knowing it had to be something major, the four of them rushed out of the doors to the intensive care area just in time to see Wolverine making a mad dash through the halls with a look of animalistic rage in his eyes.

"Hey badger boy! What's going on?" shouted Lance over the alarms.

"The institute's under attack!" answered Logan, "And whoever they are they're gonna wish they stayed home this morning!"

"Under attack…You don't think that…" began Lance as he turned back towards the others.

"It's the same guys…" said Pietro angrily, "It has to be! They must be here to finish the job!"

"In that case I'm going up!" said Freddy, eager for a rematch against the Nasty Boys after their last brawl.

"And so am I!" said Pietro.

"Oh no yer not!" shouted Logan as he stood in their way.

"Bullshit yo!" argued Todd, just as determined for some payback against those who hurt Wanda, "After what these assholes did to Wanda, we deserve a little payback!"

"I don't blame you guys for wantin' to get back at them," said Logan despite his eagerness to get up to the fight, "But these guys targeted you all last time and the deeper you are in this place, the better. Just stay down here and guard the Scarlet Witch! We'll take care of this!"

"But…" however, Logan didn't give them a chance to finish, for he was already out of sight and on the elevator heading up to face these dangerous new foes.

Despite being ordered otherwise, Lance and Freddy prepared to follow after him, but both Todd and Pietro held them back.

"Wait guys…He's right," said Pietro, much to the surprise of the others.

"You gotta be kidding me!" said Lance, "You of all people should…"

"I know…" said Pietro, not letting him finish, for he already knew what he was about to say, "But he's right…We have to protect Wanda. If we leave her unguarded…There's no telling what they'll do when they find her. Besides, its better the X-geeks handle this anyways. They'll probably beat them a lot quicker and we don't need anybody else injured."

As determined as they were to confront the Nasty Boys again, the Brotherhood heeded Pietro's words and went back into the intensive care area where the still unconscious Wanda remained. If they went after her once, there was little reason to doubt that they would go after her again. And in her condition, she would be all too easy to handle if nobody was there to protect her.

On the surface, Gorgeous George and Psylock had cleared the way through the many security barriers which included laser guns, buzz saw launchers, and net launchers and broke down the front doors of the institute.

"Knock, knock!" said Gorgeous, "Care to come out and play kiddies?"

As soon as the doors were forced opened, they were faced with a group of combat ready X-men that included Rogue, Kurt, Kitty, Bobby, and Storm. And while they couldn't see it, both Betsy and Emma sensed Logan coming up through the elevators and Sam, Ray, Roberto, Jubilee, Tabitha, Rhane, and Amara coming from upstairs.

"Pal, you just signed yer own free ticket to the emergency room!" said Rogue.

"Yeah! I don't know who you dorks are, but you're outnumbered and outgunned here!" said Bobby as he powered up into his full ice form.

"Outnumbered yes," said Ruckus with a grin, "Outgunned…Hardly. Nasty Boys…You know what to do!"

Immediately, the five mutants scrambled in different directions just as Ruckus let out a powerful sonic yell that caused everybody to clench their ears in pain over the noise. They knew if they were to have any chance at success with this little operation, they would have to spread out the collective power of the X-men and get them to fight on their terms. They already had the home field advantage, but with the stakes this high they couldn't afford to waste time with luring them out like they would have preferred.

As planned, Emma made her way towards the elevator that led down to the lower levels with Gorgeous George not far behind. On the way, they were met with fierce opposition from Strom as she recovered from the sonic burst from Ruckus and focused her power on creating a winds storm to blow them away.

"You will not go any further!" yelled Ororo Munroe as she began to form a powerful tornado to blow the two mutants back out the door just as quickly as they had entered, however the Nasty Boys had no intention of making it easy for her.

"Don't count on it!" said Emma as she closed her eyes and focused her telepathy on the former weather goddess.

Armed with her powers, Emma created the illusion that made it seem as though an enclosed steel box formed around the hovering mutant without warning and quickly closed in on her…Trapping her.

"NO!" yelled Strom as she clutched her head from the image that caused her so much stress and anxiety, "Can't breathe…Space too small…GET ME OUT OF HERE!"

Her lapse in concentration halted her whirlwind as her claustrophobia took hold and she fell to the ground, clutching her head. In her mind, she was not sure where she was and her thoughts began to lose cohesiveness as she began to fall into a world of unconsciousness. With her out of the way, the path to the elevator was temporarily clear, but a sudden voice from in front of them stopped them.

"Not so fast bub!" bellowed an angry Wolverine as he drew his claws and began to grow into a savage berserker rage, "Yer gonna pay for this!"

"Is that supposed to scare me?" grinned Gorgeous George as he wasted no time in charging Logan with his brute strength to guide him.

In his animalistic rage, Logan was easily able to dodge the oncoming force of the super strong mutant and began slashing at him with his adamantium claws. Yet Logan soon found himself double teamed as Emma in her full diamond shell began to attack as well and draw his attacks towards her. Logan responded with several powerful slash attempts, but each merely scratched upon her extra hard diamond covering. He was fast, but Emma managed to stay one step ahead of him by sensing what he was going to do with her telepathy. However, Logan still had the strength and speed as he kept slashing and punching at Emma's tough shell while Gorgeous came up from behind and grabbed him in a tight bind with his strong arms.

"Easy there animal man," said Emma as Logan struggled against Gorgeous' strong grip, "You need to take a chill pill…Now sleep."

Using her powerful telepathy, Emma induced a forced deep sleep into the raging mutant. While Logan was known for having powerful mental blocks, in his berserker mode such disorganized thoughts and ration made his mind prone to attack from a powerful telepath as was the case with Emma. It took a little effort, but Emma managed to force the raging Wolverine into a deep sleep so that the path to the lower levels was now clear for them.

"Come on…Let's get a move on!" yelled Gorgeous as he threw the unconscious body of Wolverine aside and made his way towards the elevator with Emma Frost close behind.

Upstairs with the others, Psylocke was being chased down by Bobby and the rest of the New Mutants on the second floor as she continued to go along with the plan she so hated and did her part to spread the X-men's defense.

"Get back ninja lady!" warned Iceman as he had the full support of the others behind him, "Or we'll put you on ice!"

"Or if you prefer, we could burn you!" said Amara as she called upon her fire powers along with Roberto.

"Or maybe you'd rather be shocked!" said Ray as his hands began to spark with electricity.

"How about…None of the above," said Betsy, not daunted by the large number of super powered youngsters in front of her.

"Have it your way then lady!" said Sam as he powered up and began blasting through the air right towards Betsy.

Seeing an opportunity from this, Betsy grinned as she used her psionic blade forming powers to generate what looked like a large baseball bat, only this one was packing heavy telekinetic force.

"Batter up…" she said with a grin as Cannonball drew nearer and she used her ninja reflexes to move to the side and take a single powerful swing that made perfect contact with the speeding young mutant.

As the powerful telekinetic blast hit Sam in his indestructible state, he was sent back in the other direction in an uncontrolled flight path directly towards the others. They all scrambled to get away, but Sam had built up too much speed and inertia to stop or avoid them as they were all knocked back down the hall like bowling pins. Only Jubilee and Bobby, who managed to duck in time, were still up and in the fight.

"Lucky shot…" said Bobby, not daunted by Psylocke's resourcefulness.

"Kid…If you only knew the gravity of this situation, you'd be laughing until nightfall at that remark," said Betsy as she formed two psionic blades.

"Laugh at this!" said Jubilee as she launched a hail of fireworks at her.

Then, with her nimble ninja skills, Betsy Braddock leaped to the side of the oncoming blasts, ran along the wall just long enough to perform a quick, mid air somersault to get a single clear shot with her psionic blades. Upon seeing her window, she fired both of her blades towards them, making sure she used only enough telekinetic force to knock them out and not seriously injure them, for she had enough on her conscious as it was.

As the perfectly fired blades made contact, Bobby felt his ice shell shatter as he fell back into Jubilee as the feeling of a powerful blow to the chest knocked the wind out of the both of them and sent them falling to the ground in a winded heap.

"Ha, ha…" said Betsy in a sarcastic voice as she turned back down the hall, "Time to find the others."

But before she could take more than three steps…Something caught her eye on the wall where a picture was dangling by a thread and threatened to fall. Curious, Betsy took a step closer so she could get a better look. Taking the picture in her hand, the young telepath's gaze drifted along the sight of the photo. In it, a group of young students gathered around the main stairwell for what looked like a class photo or something. Many of the New Mutants weren't there, hinting it was taken over a year ago before they came. But that's not what caught Betsy's eye…What did was the sight of a ominously familiar young man standing in the background with everybody, smiling with a redhead by his side, the blue fuzzy one in front of him and the petite brunette, young African American boy, and slightly younger looking Goth with them.

Betsy knew who each of the X-men were, but she had not seen the young man with the red glasses in the fight when they entered…But she had seen him somewhere else. If she took off the glasses and removed the shirt…He would look frightfully familiar in his resemblance to the nameless man that Sinister had brought in for his heinous experiment. Then as she pieced together the distinguishing looks that dominated in the photo and resembled the body that was brought in a month ago by Sinister, she remembered something Warren said about his first encounter with the X-men. He had told her that the first ones he had met had been the reserved Goth girl known as Rogue and the leader of the group, known as Scott Summers, aka Cyclops. Suddenly…It hit her.

"Oh my God…" gasped the purple haired mutant, "It was him…He was the test subject Sinister took."

It finally made sense now. When Sinister first described his powers, Betsy had the sneaking suspicion that they sounded familiar…And now she knew why. His resemblance was too uncanny and it explained better why Sinister wanted her and Emma to alter his appearance after he went through the machine and erase his memories and capacity for emotion…It was so he wouldn't recognize his friends and family, that way he would have no trouble destroying them.

Then, before she could ponder this any more, she heard a groan come from both Bobby and Jubilee as they started getting up from their dazed state.

"Shit!" said Psylocke, now feeling all the more conflicted from what she knew, "I have to do something…But what?"

As she ran off before Bobby and the New Mutants could get up in time to attack her, she began to try and formulate some kind of plan in her mind to use this new information. However, in the heat of battle that was much easier said than done.

Down with Vertigo and Ruckus on the ground floor not far from the front entrance where they had burst through, Kurt, Kitty, and Rogue stood ready to battle the two intruders despite the incessant ringing in their ears that lingered from Ruckus's earlier sonic yell.

"Three opponents Vertigo…And two of them are targets," grinned Ruckus as he looked at the angry young mutants, "Which one should we take?"

"I'm not sure Ruckus," responded Vertigo, "Do you think we should take both? Or perhaps we should just flip a coin."

"Targets?" said Kurt in confusion as saw the way they were both looking at him and Rogue, "Vhat are you bozos talking about?"

"Simple…Insurance," informed Ruckus, knowing full well what he was doing as he looked at Kurt and Rogue, "Insurance against your loving mother."

"What!" shrieked Rogue upon hearing the mere mention of her so called 'mother.'

"You both are, like, certifiably crazy!" said Kitty as she saw the shock on both Kurt and Rogue's face.

"Little girl…" said Vertigo as her eyes began to glow, "You don't even know the meaning of the word!"

"Oh no you don't!" yelled Rogue as she ripped her gloves off and lunged forth at the psychic mutant, bent on stealing her powers before she could use them.

However, Ruckus was ready for this as he took a deep breath and let out another sonic yell directly at Rogue, just before she could make contact. Immediately, she fell to her knees and clutched her ears in pain at the sound of the intense noise.

"Too loud!" said Rogue, feeling as though somebody was blowing an air horn directly inside her head, "It's too loud!"

"Don't vorry mein sister," said Kurt as he braved the sound and teleported over to her, "I've got you!"

Despite the noise, Kurt managed to quickly teleport her out of the way from Ruckus's concentrated sonic blasts. This left a window open for Kitty as she lunged forth and attacked while she still could using the fighting skills she had learned in the danger room from Logan, Storm, and Beast, she managed to deliver a swift kick directly into the gut of the loud mouthed mutant, stopping him before he could hit her with another blast. But as he fell back, Vertigo merely chuckled at her feeble hope as Kitty turned her sights towards her.

"Ignorant child…" scoffed Vertigo with her eyes still glowing, "You are merely standing in our way. You are not a target…So back off!"

Then, before Kitty could react, she was hit with Vertigo's powerful psychic seizures, causing her to keel over as a sudden blast of pain and nausea shot through her body as if she had just contracted food poisoning. Quickly, Kitty let out an intense groan of pain as she clutched her stomach and fell to the floor. She was fighting to keep her lunch within her stomach, but from the looks of it she was going to lose it any second now.

While this was going on, Ruckus had quickly recovered from the kick to the stomach that Kitty had given him earlier and merely laughed at the sight of the injured young girl lying on the ground in a heap of sickness.

"She's a feisty one…I'll give her that," laughed Ruckus, "She hit's pretty hard as well, but clearly she doesn't hit hard enough."

Then, Ruckus delivered a swift kick to the young girl's stomach, causing her to choke on her own bile as nearly every meal from the past two days nearly spilled out of her stomach. However, Kurt had seen this as he set his sister down so that she could recover from the effects of the sonic yell. And watching Kitty groan and suffer in pain was more than enough to send him over the edge.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" yelled the angry blue mutant as he teleported over towards Kitty.

"Oh…The boy must carry quite the flame for her to get that angry," said Ruckus, seeing this sudden development as an uncanny stroke of luck for them since it was clearly making Kurt, who was one of their targets, let his guard down because of his rage.

"This couldn't have worked out better…" grinned Vertigo as she turned her glowing eyes towards the angry young man as he teleported near Kitty to get her out of harm's way, just as he had done for Rogue.

Kurt was definitely not thinking straight after he saw Kitty in a fit of pain down on the floor. Her being so close to him had just clouded most of the rational part of his mind and now he was in full view of Vertigo and her power. He tried to think fast and teleport them both out of her sight, but he couldn't focus long or clearly enough to do so and he was soon hit with the full force of Vertigo's powers.

"That's it boy! Look into my eyes!" said Vertigo, not holding back this time against one off the targets they were supposed to get for Sinister's little plan, "Feel the power of Vertigo!"

"AHHHHHH! The pain! Can't…Take…The pain!" groaned Kurt as he quickly grew dizzy and disoriented from Vertigo's blasts and soon lost his balance.

Nearly every muscle and joint hurt in Kurt Wagner's body as he fell to the ground, nearly succumbing to the lightheadedness. Kitty, who was still recovering, managed to open her eyes from her pained state just in time to see Kurt's look of anguish as he was on the verge of passing out.

"Kurt…" she said weakly, trying to fight the lingering pain in her body to help him, "No…Please…"

However, Vertigo's power worked fast. Kurt couldn't keep himself from passing out at this point. He felt the darkness start to take hold of him as his body and mind gave out despite his best efforts. Rogue, who had managed to work her way back to her feet, saw this and attempted to come to her brother's aid.

"Stop! Leave him alone!" yelled Rogue.

"Sorry kid, but we came here to take either one of you and since blue boy here seems to be missing a few chromosomes in his brain…We'll just take him," said Ruckus.

"NO!" she yelled as she ran forth to her brother's aid.

However, she was once again knocked back by a sonic yell from Ruckus. At this point, Kurt had finally passed out, unable to fight the full force of Vertigo's powers. Now he was out cold and it didn't look like he would wake up anytime too soon, which was just the way Vertigo and Ruckus wanted him. So far they had one of their targets…And that left only one more to go before they could call this mission a success.

On the elevator that led down to the lower levels that Emma and Gorgeous George had fought through to get on, the security systems quickly kicked in and locked down the elevator. However, thanks to Emma's telepathy, she managed to read the minds of Ororo and Logan to get the override codes to set it back into motion. Emma could sense minds in the heavily fortified lower levels and they were relatively unguarded minds for the most part…A dead give away for the Brotherhood. They had all crowded around a single area, most likely the infirmary since that's probably where Wanda still was.

As the elevator stopped at the base floor of the lower levels, Gorgeous didn't wait for the doors to open as he gave them a single powerful punch and stormed into the area.

"Okay Frosty! You're the telepath here, so where is our little target?" said Gorgeous as he looked around and scanned the area for any signs of the Brotherhood.

"Don't call me that, George!" spat Emma in response, not in the best of moods over the progress and goals of this mission, "And they're just up ahead in the infirmary."

"Great! Time to crush a few bones!" he said eagerly as he followed Emma down the short corridors to their destination.

"Or…We could do this quicker and without as many complications if you just leave it to me," said Emma, clearly annoyed with the strong mutant's eagerness to fight up close and risk making this whole thing messier than it already was.

"Now where would the fun be in that?" grinned Gorgeous.

"We're not here to have fun!" said Emma, wanting to get this over with, "We're here on a mission to get a hostage. So let's just do that and get the hell out of here!"

As they turned the corner, the Brotherhood was already waiting for them, safely guarding the doors to the intensive care area where Wanda's unconscious form still remained. They all looked noticeably angry at their aggressors after having put Wanda in the state she was in, but neither Gorgeous nor Emma were too worried about this, for time remained their chief concern with this mission.

"I had feeling it was you clowns that set off the alarms!" said Lance as he stood with Freddy, Todd, and Pietro in the confined area outside the intensive care room, "Only you assholes would do something this stupid and attack us all here at Xavier's!"

"Yeah, and after what you did to Wanda, we ain't holdin' back this time yo!" yelled Todd.

While their determination to protect and avenge Wanda was admirable, Gorgeous merely laughed at their words.

"Ha! You little punks are still as clueless as ever!" said the strong mutant.

"Yeah! Well we know enough to kick your ass!" said Blob, eager for a rematch against this smart mouthed mutant after what happened last time in the Gut Bomb.

"And after what you did to my sister, it's personal this time!" added Pietro in a rage, wanting to pay these so called Nasty Boys back for all the sorrow they caused him after what they did to Wanda, "And if you want her, you'll have to go through all of us!"

This once again caused Gorgeous to laugh in amusement at the Brotherhood's feeble notion of hope. Were they really this slow? Turning to Emma, who was ready to end this right here and now, he prepared to make up for their little failure last time.

"You think we're just after the Scarlet Bitch?" scoffed Gorgeous, "Well for all I care, you can keep her! Quickie here will do just fine!"

Before the Brotherhood could react to the cryptic words of the strong bodied mutant, Emma unleashed the full force of her telepathy on the four Brotherhood boys. Unlike last time, their minds were lest focused and resistant to her barrages, most likely from their fit of anger over what had happened to Wanda. In addition, their surprise over Gorgeous George's words gave her a small window to work with and given the seriousness of the situation, she didn't want to squander it.

Using her power of telepathic attack and illusion, she managed to cause each of the Brotherhood to keel over in pain and confusion as they quickly lost their balance from the sudden onset of searing head pain.

"Soap…Soap everywhere!" shuttered Todd, "Get it away!"

Todd soon fell to the ground in a shivering heap, followed closely by Freddy, who was under the illusion that monster vegetables and fast food were attacking him in all directions. Lance tried to fight Emma's telepathy and induce a tremor to break her focus, but as determined he was, he couldn't fight the pain and power of Emma's illusions.

"No…Stop," said Lance, under the impression that he was surrounded by giant monsters and was trying to avoid being stepped on.

Pietro's fast thinking mind was the most difficult for Emma to crack, but in his current state even that little quirk did little to help him. This time, Emma had hit the one place where it hurt most in his mind…His family. The one clear image that she was able to get, mainly because it had been on his mind since they brought Wanda into the infirmary, was the vivid memory he had when he was just a little boy and their father had thrown Wanda into an insane asylum because she couldn't control her powers.

Only this time, Emma had put more of a nightmarish spin on the memory, making it seem like an image right out of hell to Pietro as he clutched his head in anguish and saw, heard, and even smelled the vividness of that horrible day.

"NO!" he yelled as he fell to the floor, "Wanda!"

In his mind, he tried to run forth and save her…But something had suddenly grabbed him from behind. Turning around, thinking he was about to see his father, instead saw a horrific demonic apparition that loomed over him and took him in an unbreakable grip so that he was unable to move any of his limbs in the slightest. Then as the nightmarish scene began to grow more vivid, the world around Pietro Maximoff began to spin into a dizzying darkness as the strain caused by the illusion became too great and he soon fell to the cold, hard floor of the infirmary in an unconscious heap.

"Sorry you had to see that kid…" said Emma as she saw the look of sorrow and pain on the young speed demon's face, "But neither of us has a choice…"

As the rest of the Brotherhood lay helpless on the ground, Gorgeous George quickly took Pietro and turned back towards where they had come.

"Nice work Frosty!" said Gorgeous, "That was too easy!"

"I told you before! DON'T call me Frosty!" she spat back, "Let's just get the hell out of here!"

Not wasting time, Gorgeous and Emma quickly made their way back to the elevator and up to the first floor, passing the bodies of Logan and Ororo along the way, who seemed to be stirring from their unconscious state. As they all convened at the main entrance where they had come, the mission seemed as though it was a success. Ruckus had the unconscious body of Kurt and quickly handed him off to Gorgeous, who was stronger and more capable of getting them around faster. With both unconscious teens strewn one each shoulder, the Nasty Boys had gotten what they had come for.

"You see…Even the mighty X-men aren't strong enough to stop us," boasted Ruckus, "This time we are successful."

"Yes, I'm sure Sinister will be very pleased this time around," said Vertigo in agreement, "Now we have the bargaining chips we so sorely need to end this whole conflict once and for all."

"Uh, I had to break up this little celebration," said Emma in an annoyed tone, "But can we get the hell out of here?"

Just then, a new presence appeared upon the top of the main stairwell and looked down at the five members of Sinister's Nasty Boys. It was the one person they had hoped to avoid at all costs, yet at the same time he was the one person Sinister desired the most…Blake Hellstrom.

"You're not going anywhere!" bellowed Blake as he looked down at them from the top of the stairs, his body glowing in bright ruby red that seemed to grow with intensity with each passing second.

"I wouldn't come a step closer Blaze!" said Gorgeous as he clearly showed the two unconscious bodies he had with him, using them as human shields.

Jean Grey soon came up from behind only to see the tense moment unraveling before her. Looking down from the top of the stairs, she saw the unconscious bodies of Kurt and Pietro and watched as the glowing light surrounding Blake's body continued to get brighter as his anger towards the Nasty Boys grew.

"If you hurt them…" he warned, but that's as far as he got before Ruckus stepped in.

"You'll do nothing and we know it!" said Ruckus in response, "Fire one blast at us and you'll fry two of the people you swore to protect. You already put one in the infirmary and rest assured…We'll do much more than that if you don't power down right this instant!"

As he looked coldly at the five mutants at the broken entrance of the institute, he saw the seriousness on their faces as Pietro and Kurt remained in his way from attacking those who had helped Sinister make his life such a mess. He knew the Nasty Boys were ruthless and he knew they were never making threats that they weren't willing to follow up on. And as he looked at both Pietro and Kurt, he reminded himself of what he had promised Mystique and Magneto…For he swore to protect their kids. And if he fought back, he may very well break that promise.

As Jean watched the tense moment unfold, Blake finally powered his body down, ceasing the bright glowing that had formed around his body. He couldn't fight the Nasty Boys while they were hiding behind such an impenetrable shield and right now, all he could do was keep both Kurt and Pietro alive.

"That's a good test subject," grinned Gorgeous.

"Indeed…And if you, Magneto, Mystique, or Xavier wish to see these two alive again, you'll give us EXACTLY what we want!" said Ruckus, "And you already know what that is…"

A look of great anger formed on Blake's face, for he knew exactly what Sinister's price was…Him. He wanted him back to complete what he had failed to finish because of Magneto's interference. They now had a powerful bargaining chip and they would accept no other price.

"We'll call you with instructions," said Ruckus, "And if you and your comrades don't follow them PRECISELY…Then young Kurt and Pietro will pay the price."

Just as the Nasty Boys turned to leave, Professor Xavier and Beast came in through the other side of the top level of the stairwell, arriving besides Jean just in time to see the intruders make off with one student and one Brotherhood member.

"Wait!" said Xavier, opening his mind to use his telepathy, "I will not let you leave with one of my students!"

As the rest of the Nasty Boys stormed out the front door, Betsy turned back and saw through the hole made by Gorgeous, the image of Professor Charles Xavier standing by Beast and Jean Grey as Blake watched on in a helpless daze. Thinking back to the picture she had seen and remembering just how serious this situation was with Mr. Sinister…Betsy Braddock made a choice right then and there.

Now there were hostages involved and Sinister had the upper hand. She knew the X-men and she had come to know Magneto and she was fully aware that neither of them would take this. There was no way in hell that they were going to do exactly what Sinister wanted them to…Hell she wouldn't if she was in their position. In her opinion, Sinister would probably kill off Pietro and Kurt anyways once he had Blake back in his possession…If for anything, for payback. And if Sinister did get Blake back, that could spell even worse news for the world as a whole since it would bring into his control one of the most powerful mutants on the planet. This couldn't end well…Not without needless bloodshed and loss.

Knowing she only had a split second to act, she quickly focused her telepathy and sent Charles Xavier the only information she had time to give him…Sinister's location. Not expecting to receive such a barrage of new data, Professor Xavier quickly clutched his head and let out a pained yell.

"Charles!" exclaimed Beast as he kept the wheelchair bound man from keeling over, "Charles are you alright!"

Then, Jean felt it as well…The intense images what looked like something right out of horror movie. Yet the strange images of the experiments did more for her…Because some of them looked familiar. Some of these images closely resembled her nightmares that had prevailed in wake of Scott's death…But these were not hazy dreams, these were memories…Memories of an observer who had been there while it happened. Suddenly these dreams seemed anything but dreams.

"Jean!" said Blake as he quickly caught her in his arms before she could collapse from the sudden rush of telepathic images, "Jean what's wrong!"

As the young redhead looked back up at Blake…Something about his face seemed to tie these new images together…As if he was the key to it all. Her mind was telling her one thing while her heart was telling her another and she honestly didn't know which one to listen too.

However, these conflicting thoughts were soon shattered by a loud voice from the bottom of the stairs.

"Chuck!" yelled Logan as Ororo helped him back towards the stairs despite the lingering pain of the blows he had suffered, "They're gone! We have to go after them!"

Xavier was still rubbing his temples from what he had just seen, but he quickly snapped himself back to reality as he looked down at the mess that the Nasty Boys had left in wake of their attacks.

"They took Kurt…And they took Pietro," he said as his mind analyzed the grim situation, "They were their targets all along…But why?"

"Simple…" said Blake in a grim tone, "They want to use them to get to me. And if they don't…Sinister will definitely make them pay."

The weight of the safety of the two young people he had swore to protect now rested entirely on his weary shoulders. Sinister was no longer holding back and was truly willing to do anything to finish what he had started. Blake Hellstrom's mind was already a mess after whatever Jean had done to it…But he felt that the only way he could make sense out of any of it would be to confront Sinister himself. Of all the complications he had faced since he woke up, there was still one desire that lingered through them all…The desire for the truth. He saw the world in a mixture of dreams and mixed meaning because of the complicated workings of his mind and amnesia. But he knew that something was out there…Something he could feel in the depths of his mind that would give him the clarity that he so sorely wanted.

"Great…So what do we do now?" grunted Logan as his healing factor kicked in and he was able to stand under his own power.

"I'm…Not exactly sure Logan," said Xavier, still thinking about whatever it was he had just sensed, "But for now, we must tend to the injured students…And I must do some thinking."

"But what about Kurt and Pietro?" said Ororo, worried about what the Nasty Boys would do to them.

"Don't worry…They can't hurt them yet," assured Blake, "They're just bargaining chips and if they want me, they know they'll have to do things a certain way or they'll get jack shit from me."

"Bargaining chips?" said Beast, "All meant just to capture you?"

"Yes…" said Blake in a deep, monotone voice, "All because of me."

Just then, a slight rattle was heard on the window frame and surrounding metal objects began to move. Upon seeing this, a renewed feeling of panic overcame all those present, except for Blake…For he knew just as well as they did who it was, but unlike them he knew why he was here.

"Oh shit…I think we've got more company," grunted Wolverine as he unsheathed his claws and once again prepared to fight despite his recent battle with the Nasty Boys.

"No Wolverine…" said Blake, "He's not here to fight. He's here because I called him. And trust me…We'll need his help along with the rest of the Acolytes if were to stand any chance against the guy we're up against…"

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AN: Well, the Nasty Boys didn't fail this time! Now they have Kurt and Pietro and Sinister has two powerful bargaining chips. It's all starting to come to ahead! Now Blake is closer to the answers he so sorely desires and the final confrontation is getting closer and you won't want to miss it! So what do you think? Do you like this story thus far? Please tell me! Send me your reviews via email or post them on the fanfiction website! I always enjoy getting reviews and they help inspire me to do the best work I can possibly muster! Thank you all for reading and I wish everybody the best!

KEEP THE REVIEWS COMING EVERYBODY! REVIEW!


	19. Preparations

**Between Life and Death  
Chapter 19: Preparations**

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Hey everybody! You know the drill! A quick word the my wonderful reviewers!

**Doza: **I know, the Nasty Boys won this time around…But you know the saying, once bitten twice shy! They may be crazy, but they sure as hell aren't stupid. The stakes are higher now. Magneto and the Acolytes, Xavier and the X-men, and the remnants of the Brotherhood must work together against Sinister…Who has two valuable bargaining chips now! It's all going to culminate very soon my friend! I hope you like it and thank you so much for all your awesome reviews! You rock! Peace out!  
**Heartsyhawk: **I know the cliffhangers are rough, but I try to update as regularly as possible. You know…To give it kind of that comic book/cartoon tension feel! And there's sure to be plenty of tension now that it's a hostage situation! Remember, this is Sinister we're dealing with so expect the unexpected! As for Blake/Scott, just wait and see for yourself just how that's all going to turn out! I can't tell you how much your support means to me and I can't thank you enough for all your kind words! And if you think this fic is intense, just wait till you see the next one! Mark my words this fic is child's play compared to what I have planned!  
**Simba317: **Of course I'm enthusiastic about your reviews my friend! They are such a joy to read and so inspirational! How can I not be ecstatic every time I see them? I know there's no love lost on the Nasty Boys after what they just pulled, but it's a hostage situation now, so it'll be tense! That's for sure! Jean opened a Pandora's Box when she entered Blake's mind, and the affects of that will show very soon! Again, thank you SO much for your wonderful review! I can't tell you how much they mean to me! I hope you continue to enjoy my writing! Peace out!  
**Agent-G: **Well Betsy did have her suspicions earlier, she only has confirmation now. Trust me my friend, it'll come into play very soon! This fic is very close to the big finish and I really hope you like it! Thank you very much for all your support! Peace out!  
**Strayphoneix: **I'm honored you think so highly of my style! It's taken quite a while and I'm still refining it. The plots are but a small part of the overall message I try to convey with each story. Believe me, I'd absolutely love to work for Marvel and show them what I can do with just an idea, but sadly, I don't think they take fanfiction authors. But that sure as hell won't stop me from telling a good story! Thank you so much for all your awesome support! It really means a lot to me! You rock! Peace out!  
**Jenskott: **Glad you liked the big fight scene my friend! And trust me, Sinister has his plans and you'll see just how far they go as this fic stretches into the big finish! Betsy's revelation will come into play later on, but for now, it's all a matter of uniting against a common foe…Except he has some powerful bargaining chips to work with. Thanks a ton for this review and the one on "Hanging by a Moment!" You rock! Peace out!

Also, a special thanks to: **Quillian, Diaz F, Rogue14, Aaron, X00001, Randommarvelfan, Mark C, Wen1, Gulogirl, Ldypebsaby, and GothikStrawberry.**

**Also, I have a fic that I'm co-authoring with Agent-G called "Hellfire and Brimstone." It's got Jott, Romy, Wandurt, Kiotr, Loro, and plenty more! Please read and review it! Also, I have another ongoing fic on the adultfanfiction website, so if you want to, go to my profile and check that out as well! And don't forget to review!**

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Six metal orbs touched down on the front lawn of the Xavier Institute as everybody was still recovering inside. Magneto, Mystique, and the rest of the Acolytes stepped out of their transports…Only to see the destruction left in wake of the Nasty Boys and from the looks of it, they were already long gone. Such a sight was not too uplifting for Magneto to say the least, who was worried enough after he heard that his daughter had been rushed to the institute infirmary on the brink of death. Now, his anger towards Sinister was greater than ever. That madman had gone beyond simply fighting against him and actually struck where it hurt the most…His children.

"Whoa…Looks like they had some party!" said Pyro as he and the rest of the Acolytes took in the destruction.

"Dang…And we missed it," said Sabretooth, not looking too thrilled to be in the same place as his arch rival, Wolverine.

As they approached the front door, they all saw the broken front door. Everything around them looked so freshly done…As if it had just happened. Perhaps if they had been there a few minutes sooner, they could have helped in the fight as well. For both Magneto and Mystique, it was a bitter blow, knowing they had been so close. Yet now, neither of them had any idea just how bad things were and just how complicated they were going to get.

"We're too late…" said Mystique as they all entered the doorway, "They were already here."

"So it seems," said Magneto, "And I have a bad feeling about this."

The master of magnetism then removed his helmet as he looked up to the top of the stairwell to see his old friend, Charles Xavier standing there with Logan, Ororo, and Beast near him. Blake and Jean Grey were there too. He noticed the solemn look on all their faces, hinting that his bad feeling was about to be vindicated.

As soon as Logan saw Sabretooth with them, he unsheathed his claws and they both let out an angry growl. However, Ororo held Logan back while Gambit held Sabretooth back.

"Easy Logan…They're not here to fight," said Charles.

"Yeah right!" grunted Logan, never one to be quick to assume that such bitter enemies could ever be more than just that…Enemies.

"He's right Wolverine…" said Magneto, "And the same goes for you too Sabretooth."

The two feral mutants continued to exchange death glares, but they were both held back. There had been enough fighting for one day already and they didn't need old rivalries compounding their problems, but knowing their history together…That was going to be easier said than done.

"You know why we're here Xavier," said Mystique, "What's going on? What happened here?"

Looking over towards the still confused and distraught Blake, Xavier's expression fell. Magneto's son Pietro and Mystique's son Kurt had been kidnapped by a shady group he had not dealt with before. But after everything Blake had told him, he knew there was still far more to this issue than meets the eye and if anybody could explain it, Magneto and his Acolytes could.

"I'm afraid that's a rather complicated story," said Xavier, "Logan, Beast…Go down to the infirmary and tend to the injured. Ororo, Blake, Jean…Stay with me. We have much to discuss."

* * *

As the Nasty Boys rode triumphantly along in their specially modified transport van that Sinister had provided them, they rode with confidence that they had just gained the upper hand in this conflict. There was no doubt in any of their minds that this was going to get fairly ugly very soon. Now they had the some of Mystique and Magneto's children…Not to mention one of Charles Xavier's students. Two of their biggest foes were now under their control because they had some of the most effective bargaining chips to keep them at bay until they got what Sinister truly desired.

"Not bad this time," said Ruckus as they turned off the main highway and made their way down the winding roads to Sinister's complex on the fringes of the city.

"Yep! We got exactly what we came for," said Gorgeous George in agreement, "And on top of that, we managed to put the smackdown on those Xavier grunts in the process! I doubt they'll want to fight us again any time soon!"

"Don't get overconfident Gorgeous," said Vertigo, who was watching over the still bodies of Kurt and Pietro along with Betsy and Emma, "Now that we have our hostages, it will no doubt anger both Xavier and Magneto."

"Who cares…" said Ruckus as he took out the cell phone they had been using to keep in contact with Sinister, "All that matters now is that we have the bargaining chips we need to finally put these fuckers on ice!"

Both Emma and Betsy looked noticeably unenthusiastic about this victory and Betsy was still worried over the data she gave Xavier. It had been a very quick and unplanned shot of telepathic information and there wasn't a whole lot of time to organize it, but Charles Xavier was one of the most powerful telepaths on the face of the planet and if anybody could decipher and use it, he could. Both young woman looked back at the two unconscious teens with sympathy in their eyes, for they knew they were both in for some major hardships once they arrived at Sinister's. Knowing what that madman was capable of, it was a pretty good possibility that the both of them weren't going to leave Sinister's custody alive…Even if he got his precious test subject back in the end. They were the children of two of his most bitter enemies…And what better way to make them pay the price for their constant pestering than to hurt their kids?

Both Betsy and Emma stayed silent as the heard Ruckus dial the specified number on the cell phone to reach the big bad boss himself. It wouldn't be long now…They could all feel it. Both Magneto and Xavier were now deeply involved with this and if either side wanted to win this secret war…Then they would both have to be willing to fight.

"Ruckus…Report," said Sinister as he answered the phone after only two rings.

"We got em boss!" said Ruckus confidently, "It was one hell of a fight, but we took on those Xavier punks with ease and extracted two hostages just like you said."

"Excellent," grinned Sinister on the other line, glad to hear some good news for a change, "Who did you get?"

"We got Magneto's son, Quicksilver and Mystique's son, Nightcrawler," answered Ruckus as he looked back at the two unconscious teens lying motionlessly in the back, "They put up quite a struggle, but they weren't too hard."

"Perfect…" said Sinister, feeling it was all beginning to come together, "Now I have both Magneto and Xavier right where I want them. They'll have to give up Blake if they want their precious kids back. And they'll be the perfect bait to take them out of the picture…Permanently."

"Good to hear," said Ruckus, "We've all been itching to pay old bucket head and chrome dome back too."

"That's good…Because you'll need that desire for what's to come," said Sinister ominously over the other line, "They will all pay in the end…It is only fair, especially for Magneto after having gone back on everything we once worked together on. What about my test subject? Was he there?"

"Yeah, he was there alright," answered Ruckus, "And he probably would have blasted us all to kingdom come if we didn't have those hostages with us."

"Leverage Ruckus…Never underestimate the power of a little leverage," replied Sinister, "I doubt my fine little experiment will want to go back on his desire to protect and guard those two little insignificant specks of flesh, but I know full well that he's not going to surrender so easily."

"Then how are we going to get him back?" asked Ruckus, "That little time bomb of yours could blow us all away easily."

"Do not concern yourself with that just yet," answered Sinister, "I already have major plans to make it so he doesn't have a choice. And the sooner we get him back, the sooner I can complete my ultimate experiment."

"Sounds good to me," said the loud mouthed mutant as he neared the scarcely populated streets where the hidden complex was, "We'll be there in under five minutes."

"Good, I already have special cells waiting for our new 'guests,'" said Sinister over the line in a dark tone, "And once their here…We'll begin the final plan to retrieve my test subject while all those who have stood in my way pay dearly for it."

"Right…Ruckus, out," he said as he hung up the cell phone and focused back on the road ahead as they drew nearer and nearer to their destination.

In the back, Betsy and Emma had heard the conversation over the phone and had a bad feeling about where this was heading. However, they kept quiet, not wanting to arouse too much suspicion among the rest of the Nasty Boys. Sinister had already made it clear that he didn't fully trust them and there was no use trying to change that at this point. However, they also knew that Sinister could not be allowed to win this conflict. After everything they had learned about him and his intentions over the past month, they knew just how sick and determined he was. The rewards that they had been fighting for now seemed almost meaningless, for it was fairly doubtful that Sinister had any intention of paying them for their services anyway. Both telepaths did not like the situation thus far and after hearing Sinister's confident musings, it only made things worse in their minds.

'Bets…I have a bad feeling about this,' sent Emma telepathically to her friend as they neared the base.

'Yeah, I figured,' she replied, hiding the expression on her face from the rest of the Nasty boys, but not hiding the weariness she felt in her mind.

'Whatever Sinister has planned to get that test subject of his back, it can't be good…Especially for Xavier and Magneto,' she added, knowing full well Sinister's ruthlessness.

'Yeah…I'll have no love lost on Magneto, but Xavier and his students don't deserve any of this,' sent Betsy, 'I respect Xavier and I admire what he and his students have done. Now they're stuck in this fucking thing just as much as we are.'

'Well what choice do any of us have at this point?' mused Emma, not seeing any way out of this that didn't involve more fighting and bloodshed.

'Hey, don't worry…There's still hope,' said Betsy as she remembered what she had done just before she and the others left the institute.

'Not when it involves Sinister…' said Emma in response.

'On the contrary…Sinister isn't holding as many cards as he thinks,' said Betsy with a suggestive tone in her thoughts.

'What are you talking about?' asked Emma, feeling very curious as to what she was implying.

'I'm talking about the one key thing Xavier has that Sinister doesn't know about,' she answered, sounding as though she was very determined to hold onto this one glimmer of hope.

'And what might that be?' asked Emma, sounding quite skeptical.

'Knowledge…' answered the purple haired telepath, 'Sinister is assuming that Xavier is in the dark now and has no other choice but to follow his orders out of concern for the safety of his student. And he's probably betting that Mystique and Magneto wouldn't allow him to try anything too drastic out of fear for what may happen to their kids. But I know that Xavier has the data he needs to surprise Sinister…And maybe turn the tide of this conflict.'

'And how in the hell can you possibly know that?' asked Emma, not believing her at first.

'Simple…I told him,' she said.

'You didn't…' said Emma, trying to hide the grim look in her face.

'I did…I showed him where this complex was…I showed him what we saw during that experiment…And with this, I think he'll be able to strike back before Sinister can set any more of his crazy plans into action.'

Emma was silent for a moment as she thought about what Betsy had just told her. On one hand, this leveled the playing field against Sinister…But on the other, it could only incur more conflict and fighting. Even if they could take Sinister by surprise, there was no guarantee that it would be successful. Even after Magneto destroyed his first lab, he had a backup plan waiting in the works…So who's to say that he didn't have another one for this kind of thing? But it was still better than Sinister having all the advantages. Now that just left one more issue…Them.

'You know that they will strike back Betsy…And both Xavier and Magneto will do it in full force,' mused Emma as she thought about the complicated situation at it was now, 'Success or not…How in the hell do you expect us not to get caught in the crossfire? And don't you think Sinister will be a wee bit suspicious once he finds out that his two biggest enemies know where he is?'

'That's why we'll just have to stay alive Emma,' answered Betsy, 'We must hold out as long as possible and do whatever we can to make sure that Sinister doesn't win. I know it means sacrificing everything he promised us…But right now, I doubt he's even considering paying us at this point.'

'No argument here on that…' said Emma in rather disenfranchised tone, for it meant that after all her struggles in working with Sinister, she was going to be no closer to clearing her name from the Hellfire Club than she was before, 'But do you really think Sinister is going to allow us to do anything else at this point? Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if he up and tried to kill us right after he finds out.'

'Then we'll just have to play it cool…' said Betsy, 'I know it sounds kind of stupid…But when the time comes, we'll have to give all the help we can in order to take this bloke down once and for all. Are you with me?'

'Do you even have to ask?' replied Emma, flashing her a slight grin, but quickly hiding it before anybody else could see.

They decided to keep their minds and their voices silent as the van soon pulled into the large, inconspicuous building which housed Sinister and all his advanced machinery below. With the two unconscious hostages now safely in their possession, Xavier and Magneto had plenty of incentive to be vigilant in the inevitable confrontation to come.

* * *

As much of the students at the institute rested and recovered from the intense fight against the Nasty Boys, Xavier and Blake filled them in on what had happened. While the rest of the Acolytes waited outside, Mystique and Magneto met with Xavier, Ororo, and Blake in a rather depressing meeting that did not at all boost their hopes in winning this very personal war with Sinister.

As hard as the story was to tell, it hadn't been any easier for Magneto and Mystique to take. It was one of their worst fears come to life…Mr. Sinister had their children. They knew he was an insidious, evil man…And there was no telling what he would do to them. But there was little doubt in their mind that whatever he did, it would serve as payback against them for getting in his way.

Blake was also unusually quiet throughout discussion, for he couldn't bring himself to look Mystique and Magneto in the eye after having let Sinister capture their kids…Which he had sworn to protect. Even with all the power that he had been given, he had been unable to use it when it mattered most. Add to that, his head was still spinning with incomprehensible flashes and unfamiliar feelings. Ever since Jean had gone into his mind, she had set something off that was still going strong despite his best efforts to make sense of it. He kept his distance from most everybody, but Jean tried to stay close to him…Unable to fight the lingering feeling that maybe…Just maybe there was something more to this.

Upon hearing the final detail of what had happened with the abduction of Kurt and Pietro, Magneto and Mystique were truly at a loss…For this conflict now seemed all too unwinnable. Sinister had the ultimate bargaining chip…He had all the advantages now. And they had nobody to blame but themselves for allowing their kids to get captured.

"So now Sinister has Kurt and Pietro…" said Mystique angrily, "That bastard…That madman…Has my son!"

"Yes…I'm afraid so," said Xavier, feeling somewhat sympathetic to both her and Magneto's situation. As cold as they often made themselves out to be…He never doubted that they did love their kids.

"This cannot stand…" said Magneto, clutching his helmet tightly in bitterness as the thought of his old ally turned enemy with his son made his skin crawl, "We MUST get them back!"

"Sir…" said Blake, breaking his long standing silence as he stood up and made his way over to the two people he had failed, "I take full responsibility for this. Pietro and Kurt were my responsibility…I should have been there. I'm sorry…This is all my fault."

As much as Magneto could use a scapegoat at this point, he chose not to let himself get any angrier at the situation. He knew that wouldn't change anything and it would only make things worse.

"No Blaze…Blaming yourself will not do us any good," said the master of magnetism as he struggled to hold back his anxiety and his emotions, "I know Sinister…Nothing would have stopped him from getting them one way or another…Not you, not me…Nobody."

"He's right Blake. This is personal…This is his payback," added Mystique, finding it hard not to feel so helpless at the though of her son being in possession of that madman.

"Payback?" said Ororo, "What do you mean, payback?"

Magneto let out a deep sigh as he reflected everything that had happened in wake of Apocalypse. Since then, this seemingly unending war with Sinister had raged on…Driven by their past with one another and fueled by his betrayal of everything they had once worked for.

"Sinister and I have been in somewhat of a secret war since Apocalypse," explained Magneto, "We use to work together for the same goal. He was the one that helped me create most of the technology that drove Asteroid M."

"And he also was the one behind the process that gave Kurt the disposition he has today," said Mystique, "We both have a long history with him."

"So you could understand why he was very angry with me when I went back on all our ideals and goals after Apocalypse," said Magneto, "He sees my newfound attitude to be the ultimate betrayal and has declared me his new mortal enemy. Now he seeks to use some of the data and technology that I helped give him to fulfill the goal that he has worked so hard on for so long."

"And what goal might that be?" asked Xavier, surprised that so much of this had been going on in the shadows without his knowledge.

"He wants to create the ultimate mutant…Beyond alpha class and more in control than the omega class," said Magneto, knowing Sinister's goals all too well, "And because of the help I gave him earlier, he finally developed a working machine to do just that to anybody who possessed an X-gene…Which is why young Blake here has had his DNA so warped. Right now…He is the only one who has been through that machine. My team and I managed to destroy it…But Sinister had a backup and I think now he's very close to activating it."

So far, the situation didn't look very bright. In the span of a little over a month, Sinister had gone from being in ruin to being on the brink of success. Clearly, they had all underestimated him and his resolve. He may have been crazy, but he was by no means stupid.

"If that's the case, then why does he want Blake back?" asked Charles still trying to piece a few things together with the strange array of thoughts and images he had picked up just before the Nasty Boys left, "If Sinister has the machine and it's nearing completion, why would he need him?"

"Simple…Because Blake was the first test subject," answered Mystique, who had just as much stake in this as Magneto, "The process was successful in enhancing his mutation, but it wasn't complete. His body contains all the information from that experiment and if Sinister wants to activate his creation quicker without going through all the steps he went before…Then he'll need Blake back in order to bypass all the logistics and make it fully functional."

Blake rubbed the temples of his sore head, for he felt so much riding on him at this point that he didn't know if he could take much more. Because of him, two of the children of the people who had saved his life were now in danger. He was so confused about so many things that his mind couldn't make sense out of it. He was beginning to lose his grip on everything he thought was the truth, for there was just so much going on in his head that didn't add up and now all he wanted was just a single speck of clarity in the vast sea of confusion that was his mind.

"So this all about me…" said Blake, looking visibly distraught and dazed, "Everything…The kidnapping, the attacks, the injuries…It's all simply because Sinister wants me back so that he can carry out his goals."

"And now the odds have shifted in his favor," said Magneto, feeling as though he had failed in his long standing attempt to rectify one of the mistakes he regretted most in his life, "He has two powerful bargaining chips and there's no doubt he'll use them to get Blake back."

"Well don't worry…We won't let that happen," said Ororo, finding this situation to have nothing but grim prospects.

"But if we don't…He'll make sure that Kurt and Pietro will pay the price," said Mystique as she swallowed the lump in her throat that had formed upon thinking about what that madman may do to her son.

"Then I guess there's only one thing left to do…" said Blake as he let out a defeated sigh, "I must turn myself over. If he wants only me, then there's no use in making other suffer because of it."

Magneto simply shook his head in response, for he never once considered doing such a thing with someone as heinous as Sinister.

"No Blake…" he said with assurance, "I will not let you do that."

"But…" he began to argue, however Magneto quickly cut him off.

"Turning you over would be the worst thing we could do at this point," said the master of magnetism, "If Sinister used you to fully activate his machine, then we would all suffer as a result. And don't forget…I know that madman. I know him all too well…And there's no way he'll simply give up Kurt and Pietro. He's too much of a deceitful liar and he's too determined to make sure I pay for my betrayal."

"Then what do we do?" said Blake, feeling that they were out of options.

A heavy silence soon fell over the room and Blake hung his head low, for he was the center of this whole things. However, Professor Xavier had been thinking about this situation and they all negated one thing…And that was the images he now had as a result Betsy's little 'lapse.' And if this Mr. Sinister was as dangerous as they said he was, then he knew there was only one courses of action left if they were to stop such a madman from fulfilling his dreams.

"I believe that there is only one thing left to do now…Fight back," said Xavier with a sense of determination in his tone.

Hearing such a plan only made Magneto scoff at the idea, for there were so many things working against them and Sinister had already proven himself to have every conceivable advantage at this point.

"Charles, as noble as that sounds…It's downright impossible at this point," said the old holocaust survivor to his long time friend, "Sinister's men now have two hostages that they are definitely not afraid to use, they all have nearly all the resources they need to ensure the activation of the machine, and on top of that…We don't even know where the hell they are!"

"As grim as it seems Eric, consider this…What if we did know?" said Charles with a suggestive hint in his tone.

"What are you talking about?" said Mystique, not seeing how that was possible since neither she nor the rest of the Acolytes could find a trace of Sinister after a month of intensive searching.

"I'm talking about knowing exactly where Sinister and his machine are…As well as Kurt and Pietro," said Xavier, seeing that there was some hope in this fight in his eyes.

"Impossible…" scoffed Magneto, "My team and I did an exhaustive search of the whole state for the past five weeks and we didn't come up with a single trace. Sinister has made himself completely hidden and has most definitely learned from the mistakes he made last time, so I doubt we'll be able to find him in time to do much about this."

"But answer me this one thing old friend…" said Charles as he looked at the desperate look in the old man's eyes, "If I knew where to find Sinister…Would you and your acolytes be willing to work with me and my X-men to put a stop to this madman once and for all?"

Magneto, Mystique, Blake, and even Ororo looked at the Professor curiously, knowing he would never ask such a thing without a good reason.

"What are you saying Charles?" asked Ororo, not understanding what he was getting at.

"Just before Sinister's henchmen left…I got a brief image sent to me by one of their members," explained Xavier with hope in his eyes, "Apparently…Even members of his own team are weary of his madness. And now, I know exactly where he's hiding. And if we all work together, we can surprise him and overwhelm him before he gets any closer to his final goal."

"You know where he is!" exclaimed Mystique as the thought of rescuing her son now became her top concern, "Then we have to get going! I have to get my son out of there!"

"Don't worry Mystique…We will," assured Xavier, "We're going to get Kurt and Pietro back safe and sound…But we're going to have to organize our teams. If we are to have any chance against Sinister, we must work together and make sure that he never accomplishes that which he is willing to go so far for."

"Agreed…" said Magneto without hesitation, for he had a feeling that one day he may have to team up with his old friend in order to put a stop to this madness and now it looks like they were going to once again fight alongside one another, "If you can get your X-men ready…I'll help with my Acolytes."

"And so will the Brotherhood," added Mystique, knowing they were going to need all available muscle to make this happen.

"And so will I…" said Blake with a renewed sense of determination.

Magneto then turned to see the memory wiped young man with a dazed look on his face, hinting at the true turmoil that was going on in his weary head. Ever since he and his team found him in the heart of Sinister's lab, Blake had proven to be a powerful and loyal ally with just as much reason to fight as him. He had shown himself to be a strong, upstanding man who had actually come to see both him and Mystique in a way few did. Part of this was probably because of his amnesia, but in working with him he had found a new way to help mutants who needed it…And in many ways it was getting the both of them to see the world differently.

"Blake…I know you have a lot of anger towards Sinister and I can't say I blame you…But I think it would be best to keep you as far away from him as possible. Remember, he still wants you and as long as you aren't near him, he can't use you," he said, hoping to coax him out of partaking in this fight.

The dazed and confused young man simply shook his head, for in his mind…The maelstrom that Jean Grey had set off was still going strong and giving him many strange feelings and images that he couldn't make sense out of. And at the center of it all was Sinister…He was the one responsible for this lack of clarity. He had taken away so much from him and he would surely take even more if he ever gave himself back to him…But that was a chance he was willing to take in order to make sense out of his ever tumultuous mind.

"I'm sorry Magneto…But I can't do that," said Blake as he turned to leave the room, "I have just as big a stake in this as you. Sinister still has the one thing I want more than anything at this point…"

"What do you mean?" asked Mystique, worried that he may do something extreme if he went up against this madman.

"Answers…" said Blake, "Sinister knows the truth. I can't take living in this daze anymore. I can't take living in a reality that doesn't feel real with a mind that doesn't feel complete. I need to know…And the only way to find out for myself is to face him myself."

Before anybody could respond, Blake was already out the door. However, as he made his way down the stairs and towards the elevator where he would have to prepare for the ultimate confrontation with the man responsible for all his confusion…Jean Grey watched him from around the corner, sensing the true turmoil in his mind. He was in pain…True, unabated pain. His mind was incomplete and it was festering like a fresh, bloody wound.

Yet at the same time, she felt something within his mind that seemed…Familiar. There was something more driving him than his desire for clarity…Something that seemed undoubtedly linked to her. She could feel it although she couldn't make a whole lot of senses out of it…But despite this, she couldn't deny it's power and she was determined to fight with him and help figure out just what it was that was causing them both so much uncertainty.

As Xavier briefed the students who would partake in this tense mission and Mystique briefed the Acolytes in the same way, Magneto made a special visit to his daughter, Wanda…Who was still unconscious in the infirmary. While the Professor and Hank said she was going to be okay, it didn't help ease the pain he felt for not having been there to protect her and Pietro when it mattered most.

For so long now, Eric Lensherr had caused a great deal of pain in the lives of his children and he had come to regret such actions with every fiber of his being. Even if he had all the power, control, and rule over the world…He would give it all up in a heartbeat if it would just undo what he had done to his kids all those years ago. He knew that Wanda probably still hated him, but if they were successful in beating Sinister he vowed that he would find a way to make it up to her and win her and Pietro back. It would definitely take a lot of repenting on his part…But he was willing to do that and so much more in order to get his children back.

"I'm so sorry Wanda…" said Eric in a soft voice as he looked at his daughter's unconscious body and gently stroked the short strands of her hair, "You've grown…So much. And I've never been there for you. You've become such a beautiful young woman…You remind me so much of your mother. And I swear…I swear that once this conflict is over, I'm going to make it up to you and Pietro. I'm going to be the father I should have been all those years ago. I promise you…With everything I am."

After placing a soft kiss on his sleeping daughter's forehead, Magneto swallowed the lump in his throat and wiped some of the moisture from his eyes…Knowing he was going to have to be strong if he was going to win in the fight to come.

Then, as he made his way out of the infirmary, he came across Todd, who was still waiting dutifully by the doors as he had been ordered to. It was clear that he had been very concerned over Wanda as well and he made no secret that she held a special place in his heart. And as Magneto put his helmet back on and prepared to meet up with the others for the final departure to Sinister's complex, Todd had one last thing he wanted to talk to him about.

"Uh…Boss man?" asked Todd wearily, knowing that this was still Magneto in his eyes and there were still many old feelings that wouldn't leave his mind, "I have a request."

"What is it Todd?" said Eric in a deep, yet non threatening tone.

"Well…I know Lance and Freddy are already going with everybody to fight this Sinister guy…And I was wondering if it was alright with you if I stayed here and looked after Wanda."

Magneto considered this for a moment. He looked into Todd's expression, making certain that his concern was genuine and truthful. He didn't have to look too hard to see for himself that what he truly worried for her and could see it being beneficial for both him and Wanda.

"Very well…I see no problem with that," said Magneto, much to Todd's relief, "Besides…It would be better for her to see a familiar face when she wakes up."

"Thank you sir," said Todd as he made his way back into the infirmary to be near Wanda in case she woke up.

However, as Magneto made his way to the hanger, one last thing came to mind and he found himself turning to face the young man once again.

"Oh and Todd…" he said, causing him to turn around and face him, "Do me a favor as long as you're going to be near her…If she wakes up, please tell her that I'm sorry."

And with a single, reaffirming nod Todd went back to be by Wanda's side while Magneto went off to prepare for the final battle against his former ally…Mr. Sinister.

* * *

Rogue was definitely anxious upon hearing that Sinister had kidnapped her brother. Even as Hank treated her and the others that had sustained injury during the fight, she did not hide her concern for him. The ring in her ear from the sonic yells of Ruckus was still present, but the incessant laughter of the Nasty Boys as they took Kurt away hung stronger in her mind. Rogue was always one who hated being kept in the dark. After being lied to so often in the past, she felt nothing but bitterness for once again not knowing what was going on. And now her only family was in danger by some force she didn't even know about. While the commotion over the impending rescue mission was intensifying, Rogue had every intention getting some answers as she went along with them to save Kurt.

After Beast had left her in the infirmary by her request, Rogue completed bandaging herself sore arm up on her own…Preferring to be left alone in her state of bitterness over what happened to her brother. She was just about ready to join the others in the hanger for one last briefing when the doors opened and she was met with the last person she ever wanted to see.

"Rogue?" said Mystique as she looked in to see her adopted daughter making the final touches on the bandage around her arm.

Upon seeing her, a look of anger quickly fell over Rogue's face.

"YOU!" she yelled as she got up in a defensive stance, "What are you doing here!"

The shape shifter took a step back upon seeing the enraged look in Rogue's eye, but managed to keep her composure.

"Easy Rogue, I'm not here to fight you, I'm just here to see if you're okay," she said to a very unbelieving young woman whom she had lied to so often in the past.

"Yeah right!" scoffed Rogue, "Why should I believe anything you say? It would be safer to put a gun to my head!"

Mystique, being the temperamental woman she was, didn't like being accused of not caring when her son was in such grave danger. She had fought and bled to protect her children from Sinister and yet they never even knew it and they would probably never even so much as thank her for it. But with Kurt's life on the line, Raven Darkholme chose not to get into another futile fight with her estranged daughter.

"Look Rogue…I'm through caring whether you believe me or not," she said sternly, "It's clear that nothing I do will ever get you to see me as anything more than a sadistic, bitter old woman. But my son is in danger! And like it or not, I care about him! I have done a lot ensuring that you two are protected and now his life is on the line. Now you can either hate me and fight me…Or you can swallow your bitterness as I did on that day back in Egypt and help me get your brother back!"

Rogue was left silent by Mystique's words. So great a part of her wanted nothing more than to erase this woman completely from her memory, yet at the same time she seemed just as adamant about saving Kurt as she did. They may not have had much in common, but their overall concern for Kurt seemed to be mutual.

"Just…What do you want Mystique?" said Rogue, breaking her silence, looking back at her with a skeptical expression still dominating her face.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you…" said Raven as she turned away from her, "I came here to see if you were alright and I've done that now. The only thing that concerns me at this point is saving my son."

"And why should I believe you?" said Rogue, whose trust Mystique had broken so many times before.

"I can't answer that for you Rogue," she said, still not turning back to face her so that she couldn't see the hurt expression on her face, "Just know that as much as you hate me…Neither you nor Kurt can ever change the fact that I'm your mother…And I will always care about you."

Upon saying that, she left…But not without having to suppress a tear from falling down her face. She hid it well though as she went to meet up with Eric and Charles. The shape shifter knew that while she couldn't forget about her concerns for Rogue and Kurt, she would have to stay strong in order to be fully prepared to take down Sinister once and for all.

After she left, Rogue was left in somewhat of a daze as she thought about how she had responded to Mystique. As much as she felt vindicated by her feelings, a part of her did sense a twinge of guilt upon hearing that last part about her being always their mother. It was something she could never escape no matter how bitter she was about it. And as she made her way out of the infirmary and down the hall, a mixed array of emotions continued to hang strong over her mind. Her thoughts then drifted back to that fateful day in Egypt when both she and Kurt rejected her pleas. And after so many months, that fateful event has been put into perspective somewhat. She knew there was no forgiving Mystique for her past actions, but that didn't change the fact that she was still was and always would be her mother.

As she walked along the halls, she passed Gambit as he stood casually shuffling a deck of cards outside the area where Rogue had treated her injuries. She tried not to make eye contact with him, for there were just too many things on her mind at this point and she didn't need to add to it with the complicated feelings she still harbored for the Cajun.

"Feelin' any better cherè?" asked Gambit casually, flashing her one of his winning smiles.

"Not now swamp rat…" said Rogue in a monotone voice, having enough problems to deal with.

"Still confused huh?" he said as he saw her look, "Worried about so many things at the same time while contemplating how all dis shit is gonna end?"

Rogue stopped and looked back at the young Cajun that had once kidnapped her. It was strange to find a man that was so annoying yet alluring at the same time for her, but at this point Rogue had given up trying to make sense out of it.

"I don't need this…" she groaned, obviously feeling the stress of everything that had happened so suddenly, "Its bad enough my brother's in trouble. But now I gotta deal with Mystique…"

"Hey…Just give de woman a chance Rogue," said Gambit, as he put his cards away and approached the weary young woman, "You may think this is crazy…But Remy thinks you outta give Mystique a chance. After all…She is your merè."

"Don't remind me…" replied Rogue, her tone not changing all that much, "I feel bad enough as it is, so just do me a favor Cajun…Don't make add to my problems."

"Hey, don't worry about it Roguey," said Gambit as she led the young woman down the halls towards the hanger where the final briefing was about to take place, "Dis here homme is here to help. So don't worry about yo' brother. We'll get him back safe and sound…Thief's honor."

"Thanks…I guess," said Rogue as she walked with Gambit down towards the hanger where the final preparations were being made for the mission to not only rescue Kurt and Pietro…But to take down Mr. Sinister once and for all.

* * *

AN: To be continued for now! It's heating up folks! The final confrontation with Mr. Sinister is drawing ever nearer! Will they save Kurt and Pietro before he does anything to them? And will Blake learn the truth? Stay tuned to find out! So what do you all think of this story? Has it been a good read? Please tell me! Review this story by sending me your feedback directly via email or post it on the fanfiction website! I always enjoy hearing what you think so I implore you, REVIEW! Thank you all for reading and I wish everybody the best!

REVIEWS! SLICKBOY HUNGRY FOR REVIEWS!


	20. The Long Road

**Between Life and Death  
Chapter 20: The Long Road**

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Hey everybody! You know the drill! A quick word to my wonderful reviewers!

**Howlerdrode: **Yep! Now they all have a common enemy my friend! But rest assured, Sinister isn't going to make it any easier on them. He has two powerful bargaining chips on his side and a truly insane desire to use them. It's all about to come to ahead my friend! I don't know about me being the biggest Jott fan, but they are and always will be my favorite couple, so I'll be sure to use them as best I can whenever they are a central part of my fic! I'm honored you think my writing is good enough for the New York Times best sellers list! Maybe someday in the future, I'll get that chance! Thanks a ton for the review my friend! You rock! Peace out!  
**Heartsyhawk: **As always, I am overwhelmed with your generosity my friend! And if you think tensions were high with the last chapter, wait until the final climax of the fic which is now fast approaching! Magneto and Mystique finally have a chance to repent, Blake is on the verge of the truth, and the final battle is coming up fast! I can't thank you enough for all the support you've given me my friend! It's always a pleasure and an inspiration hearing from you! I hope I continue to hold your fascination with my next epic fic and thanks again for all your wonderful support! Peace out!  
**Simba317: **Wow! What a review! You always know how to brighten my day my friend! Such kind words from such a kind person…You really know how to make a writer feel proud! It's a shame that Magneto and the Acolytes were too little too late to change the outcome of the battle, but now the stakes are much higher with Kurt and Pietro's lives on the line! All this conflict still centers around Blake/Scott, who is so close to the truth yet so far. It's only going to get more intense as the final battle begins and the ultimate fate of everybody caught in this sinister web of events is revealed! Thank you SO much for such an awesome review of both this and "Hellfire and Brimstone!" You really help inspire me to write with great passion and I appreciate all your support! You rock!  
**GothikStrawberry: **Well, you're right about Emma and Betsy having put themselves in a world of trouble my friend. And believe me, that'll come into play later on as the big battle against Sinister begins! Now with Kurt and Pietro as hostages, the stakes are very high for Magneto, Mystique, and Xavier! But in the end, it all still comes down to Blake and his part in Sinister's plan. You'll see how it pans out as this story nears it's epic ending and I hope you enjoy it! Thank you so much for the awesome review! Peace!  
**Agent-G: **Well you know Sinister…He may not exactly be one of sound mental health, but he's no dope. You'll see what he does to fight the coming tide soon enough as well as how he'll handle Blake. I hope you like it my friend! Thanks a bunch for all your support and stay cool like you always do my friend! Peace out!

Also, a special thanks to: **Quillian, Rogue14, Doza, Jenskott, Wen1, Mark C, Summers Groupie, ClowSword-Wielder, Overlord.**

**Also, I have a fic that I'm co-authoring with Agent-G called "Hellfire and Brimstone." It's got Jott, Romy, Wandurt, Kiotr, Loro, and plenty more! Please read and review it! Also, I have another ongoing fic on the adultfanfiction website, so if you want to, go to my profile and check that out as well! And don't forget to review!**

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Deep in the underground facility that harbored the fruit of Mr. Sinister's work, his two prisoners, Kurt and Pietro, were trapped in a specialized cell that had power dampeners to suppress their mutant abilities. While they did eventually regain consciousness, their situation didn't look too hopeful. Sinister had every intention of using each one of his new bargaining chips to their full potential…And with payback still weighing heavily on his mind, he had big plans for them.

"Let me out of here!" yelled Pietro as he frantically banged his fists on the strange energy barrier of his cell, "You hear me! I want out! Let me out!"

"Shut up speedy!" bellowed Gorgeous George, who had been given the oh so pleasant task of watching over them as they both awoke, "You're starting to get on my nerves!"

"Screw you ugly!" said Pietro angrily as he kept banging on the impenetrable energy barrier, "I swear when I get out of here…"

"You'll do nothing," scoffed George as he had just about reached his limit in terms of dealing with this kid, "Trust me kid…You don't have a damn choice. And once your daddy comes for you, he'll face way worse so be grateful you little punk!"

Gorgeous George then stormed out of the room, locking the heavy duty door in his wake as an extra precaution. This left both Pietro and Kurt all alone on their respective cells, but it didn't stop Pietro from angrily slamming his fists against the barrier. He hated being weak and powerless, but that's exactly what he was right now. He was once again going to be used as a tool by some psycho with a hidden agenda…A feeling all too familiar to him and all the more discomforting. Pietro may have been cocky about handling many things, but the one thing he often was unable to handle was being used.

"Save your energy Pietro," said Kurt from the other cell, who was just sitting on the small, uncomfortable loft where he had woken up on, "You're just wearing yourself down."

"Hey shut up blue boy!" shot Pietro, not feeling too thrilled about having Nightcrawler of the X-men as his only company, "At least I'm doing something!"

"You're just vaisting your time," said Kurt, "Ve don't have much of a choice at this point other than to hope for a rescue from the others."

"And just how do you expect them to find us?" said Pietro, not counting on any kind of rescue at this point.

"They'll find us…Ve just have to have faith," replied Kurt as he sunk into his seat, wondering why all this was happening.

"Oh please, they couldn't even hold their own against those thugs last time on your home territory," said Pietro in a pessimistic tone as he finally gave up on slamming his fists on the barrier, "What makes you think they'll do any better IF they even find us?"

Kurt simply sighed as he lay back on the hard, lumpy loft, knowing that nothing he said was going to change the stubborn speedster's mind. His main focus now was simply on keeping his own spirits up. He had no idea where he was or even who had captured him. But he had gathered that the reasons were somehow related to Magneto, the ever mysterious Blake, and of all people…His mother. He couldn't believe that someone would want to capture him simply to get to her. Did he not reject her with Rogue that fateful day back in Egypt? Did they not make it clear that they wanted nothing to do with her?

As his thoughts drifted back to that decision that he and Rogue had made, he couldn't help but wonder…Did they make the right one? What if Mystique really was telling the truth for the first time in their collective memories? And if whoever captured them knows her…Would she really be willing to do what was necessary in order for him to survive?

"I can't believe we're just a couple of trump cards now…" said Pietro in a tone wrought with despair as he sank to the cold, hard floor, "They think they can use us to get to our parents…But how do you think they'll react when the find out they don't give a shit about us?"

"Ve don't know that yet Quicksilver," said Kurt, "Whoever captured us probably knows something that ve don't…"

"Yeah right…" scoffed Pietro, "My dad would rather see me die a thousand deaths than do anything that would threaten his precious pride."

"Try not to think of it in that vay," said Kurt, knowing that they both had to keep their spirits high if they were going to make it through this, "I know it sounds crazy, but they are still our parents. You may dislike your father just as much as I dislike my mother…But that doesn't mean that they von't try. Who knows? Maybe things are different with them now."

"Ha! Now you're just being naïve blue boy," said Pietro as he thought about how he would ever get out of this mess, with or without the help of his father or the X-men.

"I guess ve'll just have to vait and see von't ve?" said Kurt as his thoughts drifted back towards his friends at the institute, hoping that in doing so it would help lift his disheartened spirit.

As both young men fell silent in their confined cells, they both worked to keep their hopes up for any chance at escape or rescue. Uncertainty and anxiety ran high as they both thought about what they were willing to fight and survive for. Pietro's thoughts centered mainly around his sister, who was pretty much the only friend and family he had left in the world. After months of hard work and persistence, he had finally begun to develop a decent relationship with her. The other Brotherhood boys may not have trusted him much because of his past betrayal, but Wanda was still there for him and if anything, he wanted to get out simply to see her again…And tell her how sorry he was for everything he had let happen.

For Kurt, his mind was more focused on his life at the institute. Even with his appearance being what it was, he had always felt like he truly belonged there. He had friends there…He had family there. He had been working for months, slowly developing a brother/sister relationship with Rogue even though she had been reluctant at first. It was always a comforting feeling, knowing that there was at least one person out there he could count on as true family even with Mystique being their only true link. And in addition to her, there were also other important things at the institute that he had come to treasure…Like Kitty Pryde. After the devastating tragedy of Scott's death, he had grown a lot closer to her. And even though he had always seen her as a close friend, he couldn't help but feel that maybe there was something else there worth surviving to see.

Both young mutants had their reasons for staying alive, but in the end it was out of their hands. Their fate rested solely on the shoulders of Mr. Sinister now…And such a thought was far from comforting.

* * *

Outside in the main lab area, Mr. Sinister was going through the final stages of preparation for his machine so that it would be ready at a moments notice to use. He only needed the calibrations and the only way to do that without going through the painstaking work of endless trial and error, he would need his test subject back. But now he was more hopeful and confident than ever that he was going to succeed. After working so hard and encountering so many set backs, namely Magneto, it was finally coming together…And all he needed was the final component.

"It's ready…" he said with a sinister grin as the rest of his Nasty Boys looked on at the ominous machine.

"It looks just like the last one," scoffed Emma as she looked at the vast array of machinery encompassing the main lab area.

"Looks can be deceiving Emma," said Sinister as the computers fired up and readied the components for their inevitable use, "While identical in terms of hardware…This machine will finish what the other one was meant to with the help of software. And once I have my test subject back, I'll have everything I need to start the process of creating the ultimate life form to replace all others on this pitiful planet."

"Well that's good and all, but what about your promises to me and Emma?" asked Betsy, even though she had a feeling that Sinister would say anything just to accomplish his goals.

"Patience my dear…" said Sinister, still fixated on his creation, "As long as I still need you, then the terms of our agreement are not up. And once I have what I want…I'll be sure to give you both what you want."

Both Betsy and Emma exchanged uncertain glances, feeling that they were truly in too deep with this whole mess at this point. Mr. Sinister was making it clear that he cared only about his precious experiment. He was truly twisted beyond measure at this point and neither of them liked where this situation was going. But despite all this, they still had hope. Betsy remembered how she had given Xavier the location of this complex not long before they left the institute. She had wanted to give him more, but time was not on their side. She only hoped that they would put it to good use and turn the tide against Sinister…Hopefully for good.

Just then, Gorgeous George came out of the door, leading from the halls of the holding cells where Kurt and Pietro were being held. He had a look of great annoyance on his face and as Emma and Betsy saw it, they couldn't help but grin.

"Sinister! That kid is driving me crazy!" he yelled with a slight twitch in his eye, "You seriously have to sedate that speed demon before I rip his vocal chords out!"

"Calm down Gorgeous, he won't be a problem for very long," said Sinister as he made his way over towards another console, "Once we go through with the exchange, he'll be gone for good."

"Wait a minute…" said Emma upon hearing what Sinister was implying, "You're not going to kill them are you?"

"Why not?" said the mad scientist with an insidious grin, "Magneto and Mystique have been nothing but a thorn in my side ever since Apocalypse! We were once allies…Yet they both betrayed me. And for that betrayal…They must pay a price. And what greater way to make them pay than through the blood of their own children?"

Such words made both Betsy and Emma's skin crawl, for it truly showed just how sadistic and evil this man was. He was actually willing to kill these two teenage boys just to get back at an enemy and he seemed to have no qualms about it. And as disgusted as they were with it, they were both forced to hide their feelings towards it or else they risked making Sinister suspicious.

"But wouldn't killing their kids only evoke more anger?" asked Vertigo, thinking more in terms of logistics rather than morality.

"It won't matter…" grinned Sinister, "Once I have Blake back, no rage will be able to stop me. With this marvelous machine, even the mighty Magneto will fall like an insect to the sheer power of evolution."

* * *

Aboard the X-jet, Logan and the regulars of the X-men along with Blake, Lance, and Freddy of the Brotherhood awaited their arrival at wherever their captured friends were being held. Aside from Logan, the only other X-men coming along on this mission was Ororo, Jean, Rogue, Iceman, and Kitty. Most of the New Mutants still had injuries as a result from the previous fight with the Nasty Boys and given the danger of this mission, it was probably for the best. Beast had also chosen to stay behind, for he had to tend to most of these injuries and this left the team relatively short handed. However, with the Brotherhood supplementing their ranks, they would hopefully compensate for this lack of numbers…Although getting along with them might be a challenge.

Outside, the X-jet was being followed by Magneto and five metal orbs carrying Mystique and the Acolytes. Knowing the greater animosity that existed betweens some of them, namely between Sabretooth and Wolverine as well as Rogue and her estranged foster mother, it was best to keep them separate. However, this still meant that they would have to work together and that was most certainly not an easy task given that they had all been enemies at one point. Never the less, like Apocalypse they were once again up against a common foe…Mr. Sinister. He had Kurt and Pietro in his possession and both sides wanted them back before this madman could carry out whatever heinous plan he had for them.

Tensions ran high for everybody present. They only had the data that Xavier had received psychically from Betsy to go on and they would have to maintain the element of surprise if they were to put a stop to Sinister once and for all.

The Professor was monitoring everything with Cerebro back at the institute, sending data to the X-jet navigational computers and keeping tabs on the mental state of his students and the Brotherhood. For the most part, he sensed a great deal of anxiety and weariness among his students, for this was the first major mission they had been in since the one that had killed Scott. The memory of what had happened and just how wrong everything had gone on that fateful day still hung strong and it would be a most formidable obstacle for everyone to overcome. As for the Brotherhood, their main concern seemed focused on saving their friend. Despite being a cocky, arrogant young man…He was still a member of the Brotherhood and if they didn't do anything…Wanda would surly let them have it.

Among the most powerful emotions that Xavier sensed through Cerebro were the ones radiating off the most unexpected of individuals. Among this strike team of both enemies and allies, Magneto and Mystique seemed to be the most worried. They both had their children's lives on the line…And such a situation had brought out emotions he had never felt within them before. Usually, they both guarded their minds with a level of tenacity in a league of its own…But given the nature of the situation, they both seemed too concerned with their safety to stop their minds from projecting. It was truly a dramatic change for the both of them…One that Xavier had never expected to feel in either of them, but he didn't know just how long this secret conflict had been going on and he didn't know just how much things had changed since Apocalypse. But despite this, Xavier offered his condolences to them despite their pasts.

'Don't worry…' he sent both Magneto and Mystique, 'We will find them and we will save them.'

And although they didn't respond, secretly…They both took some comfort in those words and hoped that they could find their children before it was too late.

Back on the X-jet, the other mind that Xavier was deeply concerned for was Jean. Ever since Scott's death, she had been in a truly deep state of sorrow and despair. After losing someone she considered to be her soul mate, her well being had been of great concern to the Professor who still looked at her as if she was his own child. He had coaxed and pleaded with her to sit this mission out given the state of her mind, but she would not listen. At one point, Logan even tried to force her off the plane, not wanting her to get herself killed out there…But Jean wouldn't have it. Something was drawing her to this mission…And it centered solely around Blake…Or at least who she thought was Blake.

Jean didn't share her suspicions with anybody else as she remained in her own little daze, contemplating just where this strange feeling was leading her. Nobody else knew why she wanted to come on this mission. Some thought she just wanted to go out into the mists of danger…Hoping that she would parish in the process and rejoin Scott. However, nothing could be further from the truth. She was doing this for two reasons…One was to save the others and the other was to find answers.

'Jean…' said Professor Xavier's voice in her head, trying to sense what it was that she was shutting off from him and the rest of the world in her mind, 'Jean are you okay?'

'I'll be fine Professor,' replied Jean with waves of uncertainty radiating off of her mind.

'Jean…I know you're still hurting,' coaxed Xavier, 'But I wish you would reconsider what you're doing. You are in no condition to go on a mission this dangerous. You know that…'

'No Professor…I have to do this,' replied Jean, still keeping her thoughts closed off in order to prevent Xavier from sensing them, which only served to make him more worried.

There was a brief silence in the psychic dialogue, but if anybody could see the good Professor's face, they would have seen a man wrought with concern over one of his dearest students.

'Just…Please don't do anything rash Jean,' he sent to her, his tone dominated with a somewhat fatherly concern, 'I know your heart is still broken and I know how much you have been struggling these past few weeks…But I just…I don't want to lose another one of my children.'

Jean felt a slight tear form in her eye as she heard those last words, but she managed to suppress them for the time being. She may have not been in the best of condition, but nothing was going to keep her from participating in this. There was just too much she had to know and the feeling in the depths of her mind…The feeling that had been lingering with her ever since that fateful night she first saw Blake at the Brotherhood house was just too strong and she was determined to find it's meaning.

'It'll be okay Professor,' assured Jean, 'I promise…I'll be okay…'

Those were the last words to her as she once again returned to her daze, running through the complex images in her mind that she had been trying to make sense out of for what seemed like an eternity.

Unknown to Jean, however, Blake had been fixated on her for most of the flight. He had so much riding on his mind right now given that he was the one who Sinister wanted and Kurt and Pietro were now in danger because of it. However, there was more going through his mind other than the obligations he had thrust upon himself. He still had amnesia…But now something was going on within the depths of his mind that he could not explain. Whatever Jean Grey had done, she had set something off in his mind that was now causing an incessant amount of fuzzy, incoherent flashes…As if something from within the depths of his innermost consciousness was fighting to get out like an angry caged animal.

Professor Xavier couldn't read any part of the young man's mind and thus didn't know or suspect what Jean had since she had been in his mind. Blake had long since shut himself off, feeling as though whatever confusion and anxiety he felt in his mind was for him and him alone to feel. And the closer they got to Sinister's location, the more intense the powerful mind flashes became. Each time he felt them, there were two images that stood out in his mind the most. One was Sinister and his demonic face that haunted him like the nightmare he truly was…The other was the face of Jean Grey, whom Blake somehow suspected was the center of all this confusion. The deep, inexplicable feeling within the depths of his mind was somehow linked to Jean Grey…He could feel it. And now more than ever…He needed answers.

While the other occupants of the X-jet felt somewhat weary about having Blake and two members of the Brotherhood with them, they knew they would need all the help they could get in bringing their friends back safely. For the most part, they were willing to cope with their presence since Kurt's safety remained the dominate concern. Rogue knew they didn't start off their run as 'family' too well when they first found out about their ties, but they had steadily developed a better relationship since then. She had come to see him as her true brother even if it wasn't by blood and only through the woman they both loathed being associated with. And she was determined not to lose him…Even if it meant siding with Mystique and the ones who had hurt and betrayed her so horribly in the past.

"How are you holding up Rogue?" asked Bobby, who was sitting in the seat off to the right of her along with Kitty.

"My brother's in the hands of some psycho…How do ya think I'm holdin' up?" she quipped in a tone harsher than she intended.

"Hey, well excuse me for being worried," said Bobby in response, letting out an annoyed grunt as he shifted his attention out the window.

Rogue felt a twinge of guilt from her rather harsh response, but Kitty saw this and placed a comforting hand on Rogue's shoulder.

"We'll get him back…I know we will," she said, trying to sound confident in the face of so much uncertainty.

"I hope so…" said Rogue as she turned to see the look on Kitty's face.

Kitty had been trying hard not to make eye contact with Lance throughout the flight. The bitterness of their breakup still hung strong for the both of them and she could tell Lance was still brimming with resentment. However, what compounded the situation even further was that Kurt was the one who had helped her get over her breakup more than anybody else and after all the time they spent together in the wake of Scott's death, she was seriously questioning whether or not she saw him as more than a friend. Rogue had long suspected it, for she saw the subtle hints in both of their demeanor and the look on Kitty's face seemed to be a dead giveaway.

"You like him don't ya?" said Rogue, breaking the silence between them.

Kitty looked back at her with a mild level of shock, but didn't deny it. She only swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded.

"Am I really that obvious?" she asked in a weak voice.

"Kitty…" said Bobby as he turned back to face the two young women, "Even I knew it."

Rogue was pretty much in agreement, for she did not dispute Bobby's words. It made Kitty feel a little awkward as she somewhat sank into her seat. It was bad enough that she had been so obvious. But because of this, Kitty made a promise to herself right then and there that she would tell Kurt how she felt when they got him out. She had already lost one good friend to tragedy and she didn't think she could take losing another.

While Lance and Freddy sat behind them in the back, Lance couldn't help but focus on the girl he had once been romantically involved with. As different as they were, they did share something at one point and it had been nothing short of a struggle ever since they broke up. Even though he knew deep down that he and Kitty probably weren't meant to be, that still didn't take away from the significance of what they once shared. And seeing her get all up in arms about Kurt's kidnapping had led him to believe that there was definitely more going on with them. He had long suspected it, but now he felt as though he had confirmed it after seeing how upset she got over his capture. It was somewhat of a kick in the face to him, but he tried not to think about that at the moment as he let out a frustrated sigh at the current situation.

"Man…Pietro owes me big time for this," he grumbled as he looked over at Kitty.

"Still can't get over the pretty Kitty?" said Blob, looking somewhat amused that he was thinking about such a thing at a time like this, "Let it go already man. Even I knew you two were destined to break up."

"Yeah…That's real comforting Freddy," muttered Lance with a great deal of sarcasm

"Save it for the battle man," said Blob as he rolled his eyes at Lance's innate stubbornness to something he didn't see as that big a deal, "You can find a way to make Pietro pay after we get him back."

Lance let out another deep sigh as he shifted his gaze away from Kitty in an effort to focus on something else. He may not have known all that much about this situation, but like it or not, Pietro was still a part of the Brotherhood. And as arrogant and annoying as he was, he was still one of them and for Lance, he was still a part of pretty much the only real family he ever had. Neither he nor Freddy had ever had a place where they really fit in, but the Brotherhood had helped to fill that void. It may not have been perfect or anything that even remotely resembled a normal family…But it was still the only one they had and they were determined to save it.

Up in the cockpit, both Ororo and Logan monitored their path as they drew ever closer to their destination. Nobody knew what to expect from Sinister, but they had faced powerful foes before and triumphed and there was still hope among them that they could put a stop to this madman once and for all.

"Chuck…We're nearing the place," said Logan as he took the plane into a path of decent.

"Good, how does the terrain look?" responded Xavier over the built in radio from Cerebro as he continued to use his mind to monitor the surrounding area for any possible threats.

"Pretty rough," answered Logan as he did a quick survey of the ground below with his acute senses, "There's a ton of abandoned buildings around here. Some of em are barely standing. Are ya sure this is the place?"

"Positive Logan…" said the Professor with confidence, "This is where the information told me we would find Sinister and from the looks of it, it seems like a good place to hide."

"But just how sure are you that this information is valid?" asked Logan, never one to trust easily, "For all we know, this could be a trap to lead us all away and waste time while this psycho goes to work on Quickie and the Elf."

"Try not think of such doubts old friend," replied Xavier, knowing that Logan did indeed have a valid point, "I know what I sensed and I feel it came from a…Reliable source. The one who gave it too me seemed…Anxious in a way. I could feel the tension and strain along with the information and whoever sent it seems just as weary about this Sinister fellow as the rest of us. And since this is the only lead we have, I don't think we have much of a choice."

"Great…That's comforting," muttered Logan as the swift and nimble X-jet descended to the ground along with the orbs carrying Magneto's henchmen.

There were few viable landing areas for the X-jet in such a confined area. Most of the buildings were in close proximity to one another and they couldn't land too close without putting their much needed element of surprise at risk. Some of the roofs were big enough to accommodate the X-jet, but they didn't look stable enough to support the weight. Eventually, they did find one cleared area from a demolished site that looked large enough to land in, but it was a little closer to the target building than they would have liked it to be.

"Storm…Looks like we'll need a little extra cover with this one," said Logan as their destination finally came into view.

"You've got it…" said Storm as her eyes turned white and she kicked up a sudden fog, mixed with a little drizzle to obscure whatever observational security Sinister might have.

As the X-jet descended, the fog was safely in place and the mixed team of former friends and enemies stood ready to storm the complex housing the mad scientist that threatened so much. The five orbs landed off to the side as Magneto touched ground and opened each transport. As the X-men and Brotherhood exited the jet as well, the fog induced by Storm was thickened to the point where they could barely see the buildings in front of them.

"Blegh…This Sinister guy sure knows how to pick a place," said Bobby as he and the others took in their surroundings.

"You'd be surprised Iceman," said Magneto, who thought this whole setting seemed perfect for a guy like Sinister.

As they looked around, there didn't seem to be any hidden security. But knowing Sinister, they would have to remain vigilant since the madman always had a way of surprising his enemies.

"So which building is this prick supposed to be at?" asked Lance as everybody seemed ready to make their move.

"The big one up ahead…" said Logan as he sniffed the air, "I can already smell the stench of the Nasty Boys. They were definitely here."

"Then let's not waste any more time," said Mystique impatiently, "The longer Kurt and Pietro are down there, the more trouble they're in."

"Don't let yourself become too rash comrade Raven," said Colossus, who was eager to finally take down the man who had done so much to him and his family once and for all, "The best weapon against Sinister is the element of surprise."

"But don't forget Colossus…Sinister may be crazy, but he's not stupid. I have a feeling he is most definitely prepared for something like this," said Magneto, who was just as concerned for the well being of his son, but managed to keep a more level head in wake of the situation.

"Anything's possible with dis here homme," said Gambit, who stood to Rogue, much to her annoyance.

"Who cares…" said Rogue, not letting such information about their dark enemy dissuade her, "Let's just get my brother out of there."

"You ain't got nothin' to worry about cherè," replied Remy as he gave her one of his winning smiles, "We'll get yo' brother back. Sinister doesn't have a chance dis time."

"Don't you ever quit?" said Rogue as she rolled her eyes in annoyance, thinking this was neither the place nor the time.

"Not in my vocabulary cherè," replied Gambit, his grin not wavering.

Rogue muttered a few incoherent words under her breath that Remy couldn't make out, but it was clear that she wasn't exactly amused much to his dismay. Such actions earned him a dirty look from Mystique that seemed to say 'Lay one hand on my daughter and I'll castrate you.' This seemed to get Gambit to focus more on the task at hand, but it didn't stop Pyro and Colossus from seeming rather amused at their Cajun friend's demeanor around this girl.

"That was real smooth mate," said Pyro under his breath to Gambit as he let out a light chuckle.

"Shut up Pyro," quipped Remy as they all once again fell silent, focusing on the mission at hand.

Logan took the lead, using his powerful nose to catch any ominous scents that may hint at danger. Sabretooth stayed at the rear and was kept under the watchful eye of Gambit and Pyro so that he and Wolverine wouldn't clash and break their stealth. And while it was clear that the two feral mutants despised working with each other, they still had a common enemy and there would be plenty of time for them to fight each other after this whole ordeal was over.

Blake was not far behind as he followed Logan, keeping his senses aware of the ominous surroundings as they drew ever close to Sinister. He could tell he was close…He could feel it. The images and flashes in his mind were practically guiding him to the man that had taken so much from him. The answers he had been desperately seeking seemed as though they were actually within his reach. It felt as though any moment could bring him face to face with the man he considered nothing short of a devil and he wanted to be ready to unleash the full power that he had ironically given him to put an end to this conflict once and for all.

Blake's anxiousness didn't go unnoticed as Jean kept a close eye on his demeanor. Although the others couldn't really tell, it was clear to her that something was driving him forward…As if he was answering some kind of call that was sent out to taunt him. And as they got closer, she could feel something radiating from his mind. It was a strange mixture of complex thoughts…Most of which Jean couldn't make sense out of. Blake's mind had been greatly altered by Sinister's tampering, but there were still things within him that she could sense. As hard as it was to ignore the lingering feeling in the back of her mind, Jean kept such thoughts at bay for now…Knowing they were on a mission and if she didn't want it end in the same kind of tragedy as the last one had, she would have to stay focused on fighting their common enemy…Mr. Sinister.

* * *

Down below the surface within the depths of Mr. Sinister's lab, the mad scientist prepared to set his plan into motion. Despite having to contend with complaints from his henchmen over watching his two prisoners, it would most certainly all be worth it in the end. Not only was he going to complete his ultimate goals…But he was also going to make some of his greatest enemies pay for defying him.

The rest of the Nasty Boys stood within the main lab where Sinister was making the final preparations. Now with things getting so heated, they would have to be ready at a moments notice to carry out whatever necessary task arises. The stakes were so high at this point that no slip-ups could happen. He was so close…He could feel it in his 150 year old mind and body. And no matter what happened…He was determined to finish what he started. Magneto and his henchmen may have slowed him down, but they would not stop him.

"It's almost ready," he said as he looked at his computer screen with a grin, "The ransom instructions to Xavier is about to go out. And if I know my enemies like I know I do…Then I'm willing to bet that Magneto is probably with him."

"Do you think they'll even try and follow the instructions?" said Ruckus, finding some the steps Sinister had explained to them somewhat amusing.

"It doesn't matter," said Sinister with confidence, "Either way, the result is going to be the same. My chief concern is getting my test subject back. Once I have him…Then Xavier and Magneto are as good as dead."

Normally, this was where Emma or Betsy would add a snide comment just to spite the madman, but they managed to restrain themselves this time. Both women were still anxious over the risky move Betsy had made earlier in giving Xavier their location. It wasn't even clear if Xavier got any of it or if it was too scrambled and hastily sent for it to be of any use, but it was their only hope to go on at the moment. Sinister still had the upper hand with Kurt and Pietro, but if Xavier at least knew where they were, things would be far more balanced. Both Betsy and Emma may have only come to realize the true folly in trusting this man, but they were fully aware that a victory from Sinister would spell ultimate doom.

Both Betsy and Emma exchanged nervous glances, restraining themselves from saying anything that would either give themselves away or hint at what they had done. They knew Sinister had a strange knack for seeing through deception, but the sooner Xavier and Magneto made their move, the better. If they didn't…Then their chances for survival were not very good.

"I'm so close…" said Sinister as he looked back at the vast array of machinery that made up the dream he had coveted for so long, "I can feel it. By the end of today…I'll have the ultimate life form in my possession and completely under my control. No enemy will be able to hide from me and nobody…Be they mutant or human…Will ever be able to stand in my way once I…"

Then suddenly, just as Sinister was about to send the ransom instructions to Xavier, an alarm began blaring throughout the lab that startled both him and his henchmen. Both Betsy and Emma acted as though they too were shocked, but inwardly…They couldn't help but smile, for they knew who this had to be.

"What's going on!" yelled Ruckus as several monitors came to life and live video feed began showing up on all of them.

A look of great anger came over the madman as he saw the images on the screen and clenched his fists as his sinister red eyes began to glow bright red. All his planning…All his cunning deception…It was all coming to ahead. He could feel it as he saw pictures of the X-men, the Brotherhood, and the Acolytes leading the charge directly towards his complex. Leading them was Blake…The very being he so needed for his dream. Now, as he looked upon the expression of the young man he had taken so much from…He knew that confrontation was inevitable. He was going to face his own creation. And as he looked back at his fully alerted henchmen…He said only one thing.

"They're here…"

* * *

AN: Well, there you go! The big fight between Sinister and everybody he's pissed off is about to come to ahead! It's heading towards the home stretch my friends! It's all coming together! Stay tuned because you won't want to miss it! So what do you think? Are you eager to see how it ends? Please tell me! Send me your reviews via email or post them on the fanfiction website! Thank you all for reading and I wish you all the best!

WAIT! DON'T GO JUST YET! REVIEW!


	21. Clash

**Between Life and Death  
Chapter 21: Clash**

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The big battle is about to begin! But first, a quick shout out to my wonderful reviewers!

**Tim Digidestined of Loyalty: **Glad to hear from you again my friend! I'm happy my fic has held your interest! The story is almost over and it's all about to come to ahead and I really hope you like it! Thanks for all your kind support and I hope you continue to enjoy this story!  
**Simba317: **Actually, the name for the last chapter came from that very album! Nickleback rules! And I thought it was quite appropriate given the situation. I'm honored that you leave such wonderful and thorough reviews for both this fic and "Hellfire and Brimstone!" This fic is nearing it's ultimate climax and I hope you like where it goes! It's now up in the air and nobody has a full advantage, so be prepared for some serious tension and excitement! As for "Hellfire and Brimstone" there's still plenty more to go with that fic and I can't thank you enough for all the support you've given both! You rock my friend! Peace out!  
**Agent-G: **Don't worry my friend, Emma has her part and you'll see how things work out with her and Betsy as this fic comes to its dramatic close! Using them in this fic has been a blast and you'll see how they'll pull their keep with the big climax just up ahead! Thanks a lot for all your support my friend! I can't tell you how much it means to me! You rock dude! Peace out!  
**Jenskott: **Jean truly started something in Blake's head my friend, but you'll see just how it affects the both of them as the big finish to this fic finally reaches it's big finish in the last few chapters! I hope you really like it my friend and thank you very much for all your support on this fic and "Hanging by a Moment!" You rock! Peace out!  
**Strayphoenix: **Hey! Hope you're having a nice vacation my friend! I'm honored that you took some time to still read my fic. It's almost over and I hope you like how it finally ends! Thanks a bunch for all your support! It really means a lot to me! Peace!

Also, a special thanks to: **Quillian, Sprocket, Rogue14, Wen1, Diaz F, Aaron, Summers Groupie, X00001, Mark C, Angry Penguin, Speedy Gonzales, Jott Luuuver, Livinitup**

**Also, I have a fic that I'm co-authoring with Agent-G called "Hellfire and Brimstone." It's got Jott, Romy, Wandurt, Kiotr, Loro, and plenty more! Please read and review it! Also, I have another ongoing fic on the adultfanfiction website, so if you want to, go to my profile and check that out as well! And don't forget to review!**

* * *

"They found me…" said Sinister as he looked at the images of his enemies drawing ever closer to him on the surveillance video screen, "All the planning and resources have culminated on this one day…Only to have them find me so close to the moment of truth."

"But how!" yelled Gorgeous George as the saw some of the enemies he had fought on two rather messy occasions, "I thought you said this place was supposed to be practically invisible!"

"It is Gorgeous," said Sinister, never once doubting his own genius for stealth and evasion.

"The how is it that they found us?" said Vertigo, "We covered our trails exactly as you said."

"It's simple…" said Sinister as he quickly surmised the only possible way that anybody could have found him, "Someone tipped them off."

Both Betsy and Emma felt a wave of anxiety surge through them as Sinister seemed to be drawing ever closer to what they had done. They managed to remain stoic and silent, hiding their feelings of nervousness over what Sinister would do since he was always an unpredictable force at best. They knew probably better than anybody else his knack for cruelty and since he took betrayal to be the ultimate sin…They knew full well that he would show no mercy.

"But who?" said Ruckus, as the images on the screen were drawing closer and closer to the building.

"That's easy…" said Sinister as he turned towards Betsy and Emma, "Only those who would be foolish enough and dumb enough to think that I wouldn't suspect something!"

Upon seeing the bright red glow in his eyes, it was clear that he was quite angry with what Betsy had done. Sinister had already once been betrayed by Magneto…And now he faced a similar situation with his own henchmen.

'Damn it!' thought Emma, as she and Betsy took a step back upon seeing Sinister and the rest of the Nasty Boys look towards them with anger and malice in their eyes, 'Play dumb! Play dumb!'

"What are you talking about?" said Betsy, trying to sound incredulous, "We didn't tell them anything!"

Sinister merely chuckled at their feeble attempts to save their own skin. He knew he was smarter than that…And he couldn't say that such actions on their part surprised them. He had always had a sneaking suspicion over these two young women and now it seems as though his suspicions were rightfully placed as he looked back at the two nervous mutant women with his penetrating gaze.

"Oh please Psylocke…Do you really take me for that much of a fool?" said Sinister, not at all dissuaded, "Who else could it have been? Who else could have revealed this location so soon? And while I'm most certain that you didn't 'say' anything…I'm pretty sure you were thinking it."

Both Betsy and Emma took another step back, knowing full well that their cover was now officially blown. They had run out of time and now with the all of Sinister's enemies bearing down on him, he was more volatile than ever.

"I have to say you two…I'm fairly disappointed in you," said the madman as the two young woman found themselves outnumbered and in the presence of the dangerous and deadly Mr. Sinister.

As feelings of anxiety turned to feelings of concerns of survival, both Betsy and Emma looked back at the madman with nothing but malice and rage in their eyes.

"Oh what did you expect you bloody psycho!" shot Betsy angrily as Sinister and his three loyal henchmen got closer and closer, "After all the bullshit you had us go through and after all the snide and smug attitude you've shown us, did you really expect us to take that lying down?"

"Besides…If I wanted shit like that, I'd have stayed in the Hellfire Club!" added Emma, tired of this annoying charade.

Sinister simply laughed at their anger, which only further made their skin crawl. Sinister may have no longer had the advantage he thought he had, but he was far from defeated. His twisted mind did not even consider failure at this point after having worked so hard for one goal. And now as he looked at the traitors before him, he found almost a sense of humor in their predicament as the time of inevitable conflict drew nearer.

"You stupid little bitches," said Sinister in his deep, malevolent voice, "You really think you can change anything at this point? You really think that what you've done is going to make a difference in the long run?"

"Oh please…" scoffed Psylocke, not at all daunted by this madman's words, "You know why we got into your little scheme! You know why we've put up with all your shit for months on end!"

"And honestly Sinister…Did you have any intention of giving us what you promised?" said Emma, knowing a thing or two about deceit.

Sinister couldn't help but grin at their perceptions, for it rightfully expressed their cunning minds that had done so much for him ever since he recruited them to the Nasty Boys. As little a surprise this was…He had to admit, he didn't think they were this stupid to be betraying him now.

"Clever girls…" said Sinister as Betsy and Emma were now backed up against the wall, "I guess as stupid as you may be, you both probably know a thing or two about lies. And you'd be right…I never did have any intention of paying you. In fact…I had every bit of intention to use you in my machine after the first successful test. But I suppose that plan is now officially dead…Just like the two of you will be soon enough."

Knowing that they would both have to fight their way out of this one, Betsy formed two psionic blades while Emma took on her diamond shell. There were still only four of them and they had plenty of help on the way. It was now only a matter of survival for the two young women that had entered into Sinister's gang so eagerly only to find out that it had all been for nothing.

"Don't count on it asshole!" said Emma, who seemed ready and eager to tear Sinister's 150 year old body apart piece by piece, "It's over for you! You're outnumbered and you're experiment isn't going to succeed! So what do you do, huh? What do you do? Are you going to run!"

"No, I'm not a coward like some people," quipped Sinister as he looked back at the young blonde with a strange look on his face, hinting that he had an ace up his sleeve.

"Then it all ends here!" said Betsy as she took a fighter's stance and prepared to tear into the mad scientist with her psionic blades.

"For once…I agree."

Both Betsy and Emma were about to lunge forth and tear through Sinister and the Nasty boys, but just as they were about to attack…Ruckus, Vertigo, and Gorgeous George whipped out weapons that they had been hiding behind their backs. They were some of Sinister's devious 'toys.' They resembled guns, but they looked nothing like traditional guns. These were the paralyzing stun guns that had been used against Blake and Wanda to great effect…And now, they were pointed at Betsy and Emma.

In their fit of rage, they didn't have the time or focus to react as the each of them fired off a single shot of concentrated energy…Knocking both Emma Frost and Psylock back against the wall with the force of a pickup truck. The power settings had been on low, for Sinister wanted them to be conscious when he 'punished' them in the twisted ways that only he was capable of. Now, all he could hear from the two disgruntled women were groans of pain as they lay on the cold floor, unable to move their limbs through the paralyzing effects of the blast.

"I'll deal with you two later," said Sinister as he gave both Betsy and Emma a hard kick in the stomach, "I left you both conscious so that you would see for yourself the futility of standing against me. And besides…I have nothing to gain from your deaths. Right now, I have a little meeting with an old friend that I must prepare for."

"Fuck…You!" grunted Betsy as she tried to move, but was unable to because of the sting from the paralyzing blast.

That earned her another kick, this time from Ruckus.

"I never liked you two bitches in the first place," he scoffed as he and the rest of the Nasty Boys turned their attention back to the main console.

The X-men, the Brotherhood, and the Acolytes were now nearing the inner perimeter of the complex. Sinister could still see them all clearly thanks to the well hidden security cameras he had placed throughout the area, leaving no square inch unobserved. He had long awaited this day of reckoning…But now with his enemies on his doorstep, something had to give as confrontation seemed inevitable.

"So how are we going to fight them off?" said Vertigo as she and her two comrades saw the advantage in numbers that their enemies had.

"Simple…By using the resources we still have at our disposal," he grinned as he began typing on the computer terminal, "We still have hostages and we still have plenty of machinery to fight back with."

"But what about the experiment?" asked Ruckus, knowing that it was the key goal that Sinister coveted more than anything else.

Looking back at the machine he had worked so hard on that had already been destroyed once before, he felt a great deal of anger at his enemies. But at the same time…There was also a part of him that was yearning for this battle. He was immortal…They were not. He could pass through time unaffected, never aging or weakening. And if anything stood in his way, then he would destroy it utterly and completely. Now he had enemies and former allies converging on him. But that didn't matter to him…For there was only one person in that crowd of aggressors that he truly cared about…And it wasn't Magneto.

"My experiment has already shown itself to be successful," said Sinister as he remembered the first test of the machine that had transformed the lifeless body of Scott Summers into Blake Hellstrom, "But now…The effects of it being incomplete are starting to show. My own test subject his here to destroy me…But I know he can't. For I have something he desperately wants. And no matter how angry he gets or how determined he feels…He is and will always be my creation."

"But how are you going to stop something like that!" said Gorgeous, knowing full well the power this test subject of his wielded.

Sinister merely grinned as he saw Blake's image on the screen and reached into a compartment under the terminal and took out another one of his special weapons…Only this was very different from all the others. This one was made for one purpose only…Destroy.

"Don't worry…I'm ready for him," said Sinister in full confidence, "You three must only concern yourselves with subduing and distracting the others…But leave Blaze to me!"

"Right…" affirmed Vertigo, "So what's the plan?"

With one last sinister chuckle, the mad scientist brought up a command prompt on the computer screen…Knowing the time to strike had come.

"Simple Vertigo…We make our guests feel 'welcome.'"

* * *

On the surface above, the three teams of mutants carefully made their way towards the building where Sinister and their missing friends resided. So far, they had encountered no surprises. Professor Xavier was keeping a watchful psychic eye on the situation from Cerebro back at the institute while the large team of former enemies and allies stood ready for anything that may happen. And knowing Sinister…Anything was possible.

"This is wrong…" said Mystique as she looked around at the eerily silent surroundings, "This is all wrong."

"I know Raven…I feel it too," said Magneto, who had been fighting bitterly against Sinister for so long now that he knew how the madman thought.

"Care to let us in on it?" said Bobby, who began looking around rather anxiously, "This whole place is already giving me the creeps."

"Sinister tends to have that effect wherever he goes," said Mystique as they all slowed down.

"Well you've faced this prick before, any idea on what the hell it is that we're up against?" said Lance, not one who liked being kept in the dark.

"If I knew, don't you think I already would have told you?" responded Mystique in an annoyed tone, feeling increasingly frustrated by Sinister's continued hold over her life.

"Hey!" grunted Logan from front, "You wanna keep it quiet back there! I'm tryin' to get a scent!"

"Don't get your hopes up Wolverine," warned Magneto, "It's doubtful that Sinister would leave anything too conspicuous for us to find. For all we know, he's watching us right now and preparing an elaborate counter measure."

"Hey come on boss, try to think positively!" said Pyro who already seemed ready and eager for a fight.

"It's not about being positive Pyro," said Colossus as he looked back at his ally with an annoyed expression, "It's about being cautious."

"Well said…But all the caution in the world won't help if we allow ourselves to get sloppy," said Magneto.

"Then we won't…" said Blake, who followed Logan closely, intent on getting to Sinister so that he could finally get some answers and make sense of the increasingly powerful images that were flashing in his mind.

The group of mutants was now less than 200 feet from the building and so far they hadn't encountered anything. In dealing with a guy like Sinister, they would all have to use cunning over brute force. He still had Kurt and Pietro and there was little doubt that he would use them both in any way they could to tip the balance in their favor. But as long as they were quick and decisive, then there was a good chance that they could come out victorious against this most crafty enemy.

Suddenly, Logan stopped just as they stood within close reach of the structure. He began sniffing the air more intently and in the rear, Sabretooth seemed to smell it as well.

"What is it?" asked Blake, growing all the more impatient to find Sinister.

"That smell…I know it," said Logan, "Its ozone."

"Ozone?" said Rogue as everybody came to an abrupt stop and looked around, trying to see if there were any visible threats, "What's so great about ozone?"

"It means that there's something very close that has a lot of electricity running through it," answered Mystique, feeling as though she had a pretty good idea what this meant.

"Yes…I can feel it," said Eric as he felt a new wave of sensations around him, "The magnetic fields around this whole area have just taken a major jump in intensity."

"And that could only mean one thing…" grunted Logan as he unsheathed his claws.

But before he could say anything else…Suddenly, strange flashes of light appeared all around them in a strange display. At first they were just flashes of intense white light…But then they began to take a certain shape. In something that looked reminiscent of a laser light show, the lights began to take on new dimensions of depth and details, making them look less like unorganized light and more like tangible objects. When they took their final form…They resembled a sort of cybernetic robot that looked like something right out of a Saturday morning cartoon show. Each one of them had a humanoid appearance and had bore the same type of bright red eye color that Mr. Sinister had…An expression Magneto and his henchmen knew all too well.

"Holograms!" said Logan, as his signaled Storm to lift the fog so they could all see.

"Well…I guess we can safely say the element of surprise is out," said Bobby as he took on his full bodied ice form.

"Guess so…" said Remy as he took out his bow staff and prepared for battle, "Now de fun part beings!"

As Ororo's fog disappeared, they all saw that there were actually far more Sinister robot guards than initially thought. Whatever Sinister used to project them, it extended all throughout the area and now he had them all boxed in and right where he wanted them.

"They don't look so tough!" said Freddy, feeling ready and willing to tear each of them apart with his bare hands.

"Yeah, if they're just holograms, then they aren't real," said Lance, not daunted by their imposing image.

Then suddenly, one of them lunged forth and attacked him and to his surprise, he felt it as if it was a fully tangible machine.

"What the!" he shouted as he felt a powerful punch land right in his stomach.

The cybernetic machine was about to throw another punch, but its head was kicked off by a single powerful kick from Rogue, who didn't doubt for a second the danger that this machines presented.

"Ain't you been in the danger room rock head!" said Rogue as more holographic robots appeared and began to gang up on them, "Holograms can feel just as real!"

"Great…So what do we do now?" said Lance, not seeing any clear plan at the moment other than to just fight.

"He's trying to slow us down!" said Magneto as he readied his powers to tear apart this sinister apparitions one by one, "He knows we're coming and the more time we give him, the more danger Kurt and Pietro face!"

"Then let's not waste any more!" growled Logan as he lunged forth and tore into the crowd of sinister robots.

Everybody else soon followed as wave after wave of Sinister's frighteningly real holograms swarmed on all of them like angry insects. While it was clear that they were not meant to be the sole force of stopping them, each robot was built to kill. Magneto, Strom, and Jean Grey, all of whom had powers that allowed them to levitate, hovered above the maelstrom and delivered bursts of magnetic, telekinetic, and wind and electrical force to knock back scores of robots…However, with every robot they destroyed, more replacements appeared.

On the ground, the close quarter fighting mutants like Wolverine, Mystique, Sabretooth, Colossus, Blob, Rogue, and Kitty kept up with hand to hand fighting styles to knock back the waves of powerful robots that looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. Because they were vastly outnumbered, they had to stay close so as not to be isolated and divided. But in order to compensate for having to be concentrated, others capable of more distant attacks like Blaze, Gambit, Iceman, and Pyro spread out more and were able take out more robots on their own in greater volumes.

Pyro was using fireballs the size of dump trucks to mow down waves of robots while laughing mechanically like the young pyromaniac that he was. Gambit, along with wave after wave of cards from the many decks he carried around with him, used the skills with his bow staff that he had been taught how to wield so effectively as a thief from New Orleans. In addition, he also found himself sticking close to Rogue, much to her annoyance, but that didn't dissuade the young Cajun in the slightest as he kept one eye on the oncoming robots and another on her…Watching her graceful, fluid style of fighting.

While Remy remained partially distracted by watching over Rogue, Avalanche and Iceman double teamed large clusters of Sinister's robots using ice powers to freeze them into large blocks and the powerful rumble of seismic waves to shatter them like glass. They worked closely with the others, relieving them of having to deal with large warms that kept reappearing from the holographic projectors. Strong bodied mutants like Blob and Colossus were plowing through them like freight trains, trying to find out where they were coming from, but they kept appearing out of different areas of the ground. Kitty phased through them and short circuited their components, but soon it became more difficult as the robots seemed to start adapting to what they were up against.

"Hey! These things are getting tougher!" grunted Rogue as she felt how each robot she faced was beginning to get harder and harder to take down.

"They're learning…They must be programmed to adapt so that the longer we fight them, the stronger they get!" said Magneto, still hovering above along with Jean as groups of robot began to jumping up, piling on top of one another in an attempt to reach them.

"Wonderful…So how do we stop that!" yelled Wolverine, getting increasingly frustrated with the level of difficulty these machines were presenting them.

"Simple…We find the source!" said Magneto as he began to scan the area for any signs of holographic projector components, knowing Sinister had to have them hiding somewhere.

While he started looking, Jean stepped up her telekinetic barrages and Ororo helped her with more intense wind bursts to give him some time. Below her, Blake's powers were growing increasingly destructive as he stepped up the level of energy he tapped and manipulated with his body and mowed down more and more robot guards. His anger over Mr. Sinister fueled his desire to bring for the power that he knew he could tap, but never did out of fear of causing too much destruction. However, with his mind a mess of countless conflicting images, he was beginning to set aside those barriers he had placed on himself as his desperate desire for clarity continued to bring havoc upon his fragile mind.

Jean kept an eye on him and could sense the waves of anger, confusion, and sorrow that were pouring from the confused young man. The strange feeling she had in the back of her mind was growing as she struggled to maintain focus at times. However, she found that the longer she felt this strange feeling go on, the clearer it became. And whatever it seemed to be connected to Blake. She still didn't forget about some of the things she saw in his mind when she unlocked the Pandora's Box that had caused such great confusion and turmoil within the young man. Some of them didn't resemble Blake Hellstrom…Some of them felt frightfully familiar. And ever since that moment she was in his mind, Jean couldn't help but ask herself…Could it be? Is it really possible?

In the heat of battle, Jean was unable to consider such notions, but she couldn't ignore what she was feeling in her head. The longer this went on, the more angry and confused Blake got and it was starting to take a toll on the both of them.

"We can't keep this up!" said Mystique, as she found it increasingly difficult to take down the robots even with her fighting skills, "We have to stop them! We have to find the source!"

"Yeah…Sounds…Easy!" grunted Sabretooth in between attacks as he let out a loud, animalistic roar as several robots managed to land a few blows on him before he ripped them to shreds.

"But where the hell is it?" asked Colossus as he shook off several robots that tried to dog pile him.

Up from above, Magneto kept scanning for any signs of holographic projectors, but couldn't find anything. Nothing was standing out as he was forced to divide his attention between taking down the growing number of robots and searching for where they were coming from. The battle was getting too intense and the robots were adapting at an alarming rate as they began to wear down the group of mutants below. Then finally, it dawned on him, for there was only one way for Sinister to be able to do this.

"There aren't any topside…So they must be underground!" said Magneto, seeing that it was the only plausible way.

"Underground?" said Avalanche getting the idea, "Leave it to me!"

Rolling his eyes back into his head, Lance Alvers concentrated his powers on the ground below him and triggered a strong tremor that caused those who were still on the ground to lose their balance. Cracks in the ground began forming and they quickly grew wider and wider as Lance stepped up the intensity of the seismic waves. As the others quickly ran off to the side in order to avoid falling in, down below the machinery that was causing the holographic projections became visible.

"Good job Avalanche!" said Magneto as he lowered himself to the ground and prepared an electromagnetic burst, "Now it's time to end this!"

With one powerful electromagnetic pulse, Magneto managed to short out most of the visible part of the projectors. While this did cause a sizeable amount of the robot holograms to disappear, there were still plenty present to keep up the fight.

"Hey! What gives?" said Bobby as more robots ganged up on him, "They're still coming!"

"There must be more projectors!" said Storm as she formed dark clouds above and caused lightning strikes down on the ground below, taking down clusters of robots and hoping to strike at the underground projectors.

"Then we'll just have to take them out too!" said Kitty as phased through several robots and descended into the ground.

While it was hard for her to see, it didn't take long for her to reach some of the elaborate machinery that Avalanche had not been able to expose with his powers. Using the devastating effects of her powers on machinery, Kitty continued to move through the ground, shorting out projector after projector. On the surface, more robot guards disappeared upon having their source cut off. But soon, her need to breathe prompted her to return to the surface in order to get a breath of fresh air. And as soon as she returned to the surface, she was ambushed by some of the remaining robots.

"Kitty!" yelled Rogue as dodged the attacks of two robots.

Rogue quickly ran to her aid, but there were still active projectors not far from the building and if they wanted to get in and find Sinister, they would have to destroy them as well.

Blake Hellstrom had definitely had just about enough of this as time kept ticking away, giving Sinister more and more of an edge over all of them. He could not allow this to happen…He couldn't allow Sinister to do this to his friends. Among everybody else there, Blake was the only one that considered each one of them his friends. From Magneto and Mystique to Lance and Jean Grey…They were his friends in his mind. Whether it was from his missing memories or the memories he had gained after he had been rescued by Magneto was still unclear…But Blake wasn't about to let this go on for any longer than it had to. After all…He had unfinished business to attend to with Sinister.

"Still more projectors…" grunted Blake as his entire body began to glow brighter, "Gotta…End this!"

Then suddenly, much to the surprise of everyone present, a blinding ruby red flash erupted from Blake's body and a shockwave blew all throughout the area. Windows were shattered, robots were blown apart, projectors were disabled, and nearly everybody had been knocked off their feet. This blast had cleared the area of Sinister's robot holograms, but it had also greatly shocked everybody because of the sheer force that had had been unleashed.

Blake was now on the ground gasping for air. He had not let himself unleash that much power before. Even though he knew he was capable of so much more, the personal barriers he had placed on himself kept him from doing so and some of those barriers were definitely beginning to wane as a result of his dizzying mental state.

"Blake!" yelled Jean as she quickly descended to his side and helped him up.

He was breathing hard, yet still full of determination to press on. As soon as he was back on his feet, he didn't seem to need any support simply needed to catch his breath and collect at least some part of his mind in order to focus on the task at hand.

"I'm fine…" he said, rubbing his head slightly.

"Blake…" said Mystique as she and the others looked back at him in surprise at what he had just done, "Where did you learn to do that? I thought…"

"I don't know…" he said, still trying to get his thoughts in order, "But let's not worry about that now! We have a job to do! So let's do it!"

Shaking off the gazes he still felt upon him, Blake took the lead as he stormed into the building with Jean following close behind in search of Mr. Sinister. While some hesitated at first, they knew he was right and quickly followed, for time was still against them and with each passing moment, the inevitable confrontation drew nearer.

* * *

As the large collection of X-men, Brotherhood, and Acolytes entered the building, Sinister continued watching their every move from his monitoring station below. Ruckus, Vertigo, and Gorgeous George were all in position, ready to play their parts in this most desperate of plans. With the stakes so high, neither side could afford any slip ups. Kurt and Pietro remained the main balancing force for Sinister as he watched them blow through the heavy duty elevator on the monitor and make their way down the shaft towards his level.

Behind him, Betsy and Emma were still feeling the effects of the paralyzing blast that Sinister had given them…But they were slowly starting to recover. However, if they were to affect the outcome of this battle, they knew they would have to heal quicker. But Sinister didn't seem worried as he hit the communicator function on the computer and contacted his Nasty Boys.

"Vertigo…Are you in place?" asked Sinister through the com link.

"Affirmative Mr. Sinister," replied Vertigo, ready and willing to do her part, "They will not have any appetite for conflict once they face my full, unabated power."

"Good…What about you Gorgeous and Ruckus? How are things on your end?" he asked, knowing that this all had to run flawlessly if he was to get what he wanted out of this.

"Exactly as planned boss," replied Ruckus, "We're both ready on our ends."

"Yeah! They're in for a rude shock when they reach us!" boasted Gorgeous over the com link.

"Don't get too cocky," said Sinister, knowing such arrogance could only lead to trouble, "Just play your parts…That's all you need to do. Leave the rest to me."

"And what of your machine?" asked Vertigo, knowing full well just how much he coveted his creations.

"Do not worry," he assured, "I have everything I need to make thousands of them…And at this point, I'm only concerned with one thing…Unfinished business."

As he stood fixated on the computer screen, he saw that his enemies had now breached the elevator area and were now in the main halls. They were getting closer and closer…He could feel it. With the strange gun still in hand Sinister left the computer and made his way towards another area of the underground facility, leaving the still ailing Betsy Braddock and Emma Frost behind.

Still feeling like they had both been hit by a car, Emma managed to force herself up into a standing position and helped Betsy up as well. They both had to lean on the wall for support as their head continued to spin. Their limbs felt like they had lead weights on them and the dizziness caused them both to feel sick to their stomach, but they both fought hard against the pounding effects of the paralyzing blast, knowing they had to do something to help take down Sinister once and for all.

"Betsy…You alright?" said Emma as she took deep breaths in an effort to fight off the soreness all over her body.

"I feel like I just got run over by a freight train…" she groaned, "But other than that, I think I'm okay…You?"

"Same…" she replied, feeling her legs wobble from strain, "But I think my diamond shell absorbed some of the blast."

"Does that mean you're good enough to fight?" said Betsy as she stumbled forward, struggling to keep her balance, but walking under her own power never the less.

"Are you kidding?" said Emma in response, "A fucking army couldn't keep me from fighting in this!"

"Glad to hear luv," said Betsy, managing a smile as they both fought through the pain and pressed forward, "Now come on…Let's help take down Sinister for good."

* * *

The halls of the underground complex widened as the three teams of mutants made their way deeper into Sinister's domain. Knowing they didn't have the element of surprise anymore, they would all have to rely on speed, luck, and skill to succeed in saving Kurt and Pietro. For Magneto and Mystique, who knew Sinister best, they were certain that he was probably ready for them…But that most certainly wouldn't stop them from pressing onward and saving their kids.

"The corridors are starting to straighten out!" said Magneto as they neared another turn, "We must be getting close!"

"Any idea where in the hell we're goin' anyway?" asked Rogue who never liked to go in anywhere completely blind like this.

"Wherever we have to cherè," said Gambit who stayed close behind her and was more used to situations like this, "But don't worry…Gambit's got your back!"

"Yeah, that's real comforting…" said Rogue, rolling her eyes.

They neared another corner which appeared to lead through to a central area, but then…Logan, who was near the front, stopped them all as something all too familiar caught his senses.

"Hold it!" he ordered, causing everyone to stop, "I smell something…And it ain't Sabretooth's breath."

"Why you!" growled the former weapon X soldier.

"Easy comrade," said Colossus as he held him back.

Despite this comment, the others impatiently stood back while they waited for an opportunity or a signal from Logan. Time was still against them and Pietro and Kurt's situation wasn't going to get any better the longer they stayed in Sinister's custody, however, Logan would not budge from his lead position. Whatever he smelled was definitely serious, but be that as it may…The overall eagerness of the others seemed to override traditional merits of caution.

"Err! We can't slow down!" said Mystique, as she moved towards the front, "We have to keep moving!"

"Wait!" yelled Logan, but it was already too late.

Suddenly, an intense blast of bodily pain and nausea shot throughout the bodies everybody present. The unexpected feelings caught them off guard as they all fell to the ground, clutching their stomach in pain. It was as if someone had just set a bomb off within their bodies and every possible nerve for pain was activated simultaneously by an unseen force. But as moans and groans echoed throughout the group, the source of this pain suddenly made herself known…It was Vertigo.

"I will not hold back for any of you!" she yelled as the bright yellow glow in her eyes was more intense than it ever had been before, "This time…You face the full power of Vertigo!"

Pushing her powers to the limits, every last one of the mutants in the large group felt the unmitigated force of her incapacitating powers. It was so strong that it even penetrated Blake and Mystique's mental shields as well as Magneto's helmet. The dizzying feeling of intense nausea and bodily pain made it nearly impossible to mount a response and some were already on the verge of passing out. However, despite this, some were trying hard to strike back.

With a determined growl, Logan crawled through the pain with his claws already drawn, looking intent on stopping the source. However, this wasn't enough, for Vertigo merely kicked him away, leaving the halls ahead closed off as long as she kept up her paralyzing powers.

"You will not go an inch further!" she yelled as she kept the full force of her powers going, "You cannot beat me! This all ends now!"

More groans and yells echoed throughout the halls as Vertigo showed no signs of letting up in her attack. However, despite the intensity, Magneto's helmet was still providing some protection against her and while he was still hit hard by the feelings if dizziness and nausea…He was still more cognizant and coordinated than the others. Through the pain, he remembered what was at stake here…Pietro. The bodily pain that Vertigo was causing him was not intense enough to make him forget that. Then, as he forced his dizzy eyes open to look at the area around him…He saw the overconfident Vertigo standing within a few feet from them. She looked as though she was feeling triumphant…But failure at this point was not an option.

Knowing he would have to make his shot count, Eric Lensherr fought through the pain searing through his body and focused on the metallic paneling on both the walls and ceiling. Vertigo didn't seem to notice this, for she was too focused on blasting them all with the full force of her powers to see. Then, using both her oversight and his powers, Magneto dislodged one heavy metallic panel from the ceiling and caused it to come crashing down upon Vertigo…Knocking her out and crushing a great deal of her bones in the process.

"It seems the power of Vertigo is no match for the power of gravity," said the master of magnetism as he forced his way back to his feet and helped the others up.

Everyone was still feeling the effects of Vertigo's powers, but they did not have time to let themselves fully recover and Magneto knew it.

"Come…We don't have time to catch our breath!" he urged as he helped Lance, Freddy, and Pyro up.

"Ugh…" groaned Bobby, "Can you just give me a few minutes?"

"No time for that Iceman!" grunted Logan as he set aside most of his bodily pain, "We have to keep moving!"

"Damn…Remind me to skip lunch," groaned Rogue as she rubbed her head, but was back on her feet none the less with a little help from Gambit.

"Careful dere cherè," he said as he helped her up.

"Come on then! What are we waiting for!" said Blake who seemed to recover the fastest, for he was still driven by his rage towards Sinister, "Let's go!"

As each combatant fought through the pain, they managed to once again forge ahead, leaving the crushed body of Vertigo behind. As they turned down the path that she had so ardently blocked, they both reached a diversion in the hall. Kurt and Pietro could be down either one of them or both, but a split second decision had to be made if they were to keep the pace going.

"Split up!" ordered Logan.

Not having time to organize, many simply diverged on their own. The X-men, Mystique, Blake, who was simply following Logan, and Gambit went down the path to the left, most likely because that's where Rogue was going, while Magneto, the Brotherhood, and the rest of the Acolytes went down the right. The corridors narrowed as they passed locked doors and storage areas laden with barrels of chemicals that Sinister used in his experiments. When Blake saw them, he felt his memory flashes grow in intensity…For he knew he was getting close. Whatever answers he desired seemed to lay just up ahead as he and the X-men forged ahead down towards a more darkened with only Logan's nose to guide him.

"This way!" he said, following trace scents along the path, "We're gettin' close…I can smell it!"

'And I can feel it…' thought Blake, which was loud enough to be heard by Jean and only served to heighten her anxiety as to where this was all going.

* * *

Over with Magneto and the Acolytes, they were following Sabretooth's heightened senses in the same way the X-men were following Logan's. The corridors were nearly identical, but they were still difficult to navigate. There was nothing to go on…No map, no indicators, nothing. All anybody could rely on now was their senses…And hope for a little bit of luck as well as Magneto felt the tension grow as they probed deeper into Sinister's domain.

"Sense anything Sabretooth?" asked Magneto anxiously as the animal-like mutant led them all down another turn.

"Yeah…A little," he grunted as he took another whiff of the air, "And boy does it stink."

"Could be Pietro…" commented Lance, but his words were ignored as they kept going.

Seconds felt like hours as each passing moment felt like an eternity to them. Every corridor was unmarked and it felt as though they were a rat trapped in a maze.

"This is getting redundant mate!" said Pyro as he looked around at the featureless walls, "We're going around in circles!"

"Shut up Pyro!" growled Sabretooth, "We're close…I can sense it!"

Once again, Sabretooth led them around another corner…But as soon as they did, they froze at what they saw. Magneto's eyes widened as a wave of anxiety soon fell over him as he and his henchmen now stood before Ruckus as he held one of Sinister's deadly weapons at a barely conscious Pietro Maximoff's head.

"I wouldn't move any closer if I were you…" grinned Ruckus as he tightened his hold around Pietro, keeping the gun right at his temple, "You've been seriously getting on Sinister's nerves Magneto…And mine as well. But now it's time to pay the price for your actions…Say goodnight to sonny boy!"

* * *

AN: Dun, dun dun…Dramatic pause! Quite intense huh? But there's still more to come! Kurt and Pietro are still in mortal danger and the X-men, Brotherhood, and Acolytes still have Sinister to worry about! Things are really heating up as the time for confrontation draws near! Stay tuned if you want to see what happens and I don't think you'll want to miss it! And don't forget! Send me your REVIEWS! Send them to me via email or post them on the fanfiction website! Either way is fine just as long as you do it! Thank you all very much for reading and I wish everybody the best!

HURRY UP AND REVIEW WHILE THERE'S STILL TIME!


	22. Ending Where It Began

**Between Life and Death  
Chapter 22: Ending Where It Began**

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* * *

Here it is! The big fight! But before it begins, a quick word to my wonderful reviewers!

**Agent-G: **Don't worry my friend. This chapter is full of action and the last chapter should tie everything up! It's almost over man and I hope you like how I end it! Thanks for all your support my friend. I really appreciate it!  
**Sprocket: **Wow, I'm honored I have been able to capture your imagination with this fic so much! It's almost over now! All the answers shall be revealed and resolved in due time! Just one more chapters after this and it'll all be over. However, I already have another fic in the works, so I won't be out for long! I hope you like how this ends and thank you very much for all your support and reviews! You rock! Peace out!  
**Simba317: **Yep, the odds against Sinister are even now, but he still has Pietro and Kurt! And knowing how crazy this guys is, he's willing to use them in any way he can to get what he wants! Things with Blake are about to reach ahead as the affects of Jean's actions finally catch up with the big climax! You've been one of the most dedicated and enjoyable reviewers with this fic and "Hellfire and Brimstone!" I can't thank you enough for everything you've done and I can never express how much your kind feedback means to me! And don't worry, I already have another fic planned after this! I hope you like how this fic ends with this and the final chapter! Thanks again for all your awesome support! Peace out!  
**Doza: **I know the robots seemed out of this world, but hey…That's Sinister for you! It's all about to come to ahead with everybody in this fateful chapter my friend! I can't thank you enough for all the support you've given me and I really hope you enjoy how this fic ends! I'll have another one waiting soon, and I hope you like that one just as much! Thanks again for the review! Peace out!  
**Mark C: **Sinister's plans have definitely come apart my friend…Thanks to Betsy and Emma. But everybody now has a steak in this big battle and it's all going to either come together or completely fall apart! This is going to be the biggest chapter in this story without a doubt and I can't thank you enough for all the wonderful support you've given me since the beginning my friend! I really hope you enjoy how this fic ends! Thanks again my friend! Peace out!

Also, a special thanks to: **Tim Digidestined of Loyalty, Quillian, X00001, Summers Groupie, Telepathic Angel, Wen1, Overlord, Jenskott, Angry Penguin, Rogue 14, Strayphoenix.**

**Also, I have a fic that I'm co-authoring with Agent-G called "Hellfire and Brimstone." It's got Jott, Romy, Wandurt, Kiotr, Loro, and plenty more! Please read and review it! Also, I have another ongoing fic on the adultfanfiction website, so if you want to, go to my profile and check that out as well! And don't forget to review!**

* * *

"Pietro…" said Eric as he saw a very unstable Ruckus with one of Sinister's guns to his son's head, "If you hurt him!"

"Shut the fuck up old man!" yelled Ruckus in response as he tightened his grip on Pietro, causing him to choke somewhat, "You're in no position to say anything! I have the ultimate shield now! And if you do ANYTHING then your son will pay the price! So back off!"

As Magneto watched his ailing son in the arms of the angry mutant before him, he knew there was no time for him to argue or else Pietro might suffer the consequences. Pyro and Avalanche looked ready to unleash their powers at any moment and Sabretooth looked ready to pounce…But with the safety of his son overshadowing any desire to fight, Magneto signaled them to stand down as he took a step back from Ruckus as he kept his finger right on the trigger.

As Ruckus saw the mighty master of magnetism take a step back out of concern for the safety of his son, he couldn't help but laugh. The power he had over them right now was just too exhilarating for words and he could only imagine the look of devastation on the powerful mutant's face when he blew Pietro's brains out…For it would truly be a sight to see and a fitting punishment for all his indiscretions.

"There…That's a good boy," said Ruckus as he took a step back, increasing the distance between him and Magneto's anxious crew, "Just keep your distance."

"Let him go you asshole!" yelled Lance, fighting the urge to just bury him under a mountain of rock with his powers, "It's over now!"

Ruckus choked Pietro even more, causing him to cough and choke for air as he bordered between consciousness and fainting.

"I would advise against any further outbursts like that you little punk!" shot Ruckus, growing increasingly impatient and wanting to get this over with, "Otherwise your friend here is going to suffer even more!"

Lance wanted to talk back, but he restrained himself this time, not wanting to make the situation any worse than it already was.

"Just think about what you're doing mate," said Pyro, who still had his flamethrowers lit, "If you hurt that boy…Than no army in the world will keep us from making sure you die a slow painful death."

Ruckus just laughed at Pyro's threat, not taking it seriously for a second.

"Oh please…Don't try to talk your way out of this one!" said Ruckus as he took another step back while Magneto and his team remained stationary.

"Then what do you want!" yelled Eric, wanting desperately to get his son away from this madman, "It's over now! You know Sinister's plan isn't going to work!"

"Oh, that's where you're wrong bucket head!" quipped Ruckus, preparing to make his escape as Sinister had planned, "As long as Sinister's alive, his plan can't be stopped! And the man is a fucking immortal so there's no use trying to slow down the inevitable! You've been causing nothing but trouble since your betrayal…And now, it's time for you to face your ultimate punishment! Say goodnight asshole!"

Magneto was about lunge forth and throw everything he could at this man in order to save his son, but Ruckus seemed to know this as he prepared to pull the trigger and blow the speed demon's brains out. Then suddenly…Just before he was about to pull the trigger, he felt an agonizing pain shoot through his chest…Then he heard a voice from behind that revealed just what it was that had happened.

"Goodnight…Asshole," said Elizabeth Braddock, who had plunged a single psionic blade into his back, penetrating his spine and directly into his heart.

Magneto and his henchmen froze at the sight they were seeing as blood began to trickle down Ruckus's nose and filled his mouth. As the searing pain of the deadly stab shot through the loud mouthed mutant's body, he dropped both the gun and lost his grip on Pietro. Knowing it was over for him, he managed one last word before his body gave out.

"You…"

Then, Betsy pulled the blade out, causing Ruckus to choke on his own blood as his body fell limply to the floor while she struggled to keep her balance.

"About time somebody shut you up…" she said as she fell to the floor, still under the effects of Sinister's paralyzing ray.

Immediately, Magneto rushed over to his son, who lay gasping for air on the cold metal floor. He quickly knelt down as Lance and Freddy stood close by while Pyro, Colossus, and Sabretooth went to check on Betsy.

"Pietro…Its okay," assured Eric, feeling a wave of relief come over him as he helped his son back up, "You're going to be okay."

Pietro looked back at the man who had betrayed him so many times before. His body was weak and he was still trying to catch his breath…But that didn't change what had just happened. His father had actually come to save him…His 'father' that had taken his sister away from him and lied to him so many times before. Yet as he saw the worry in Eric Lensherr's eyes, he felt as though he was looking at another man…Another person not like the one who had put him through so much hell in his complicated life.

"Father…" he gasped, still finding it difficult to stand, which prompted Lance and Freddy to help him stay on his feet.

"Easy there Quicksilver," said Blob as he felt Pietro's weakened body still shake under the strain of whatever it was Ruckus did to him that nearly knocked him out.

"You're safe now my son," said Magneto as Pietro grew increasingly aware of what was going on, "We'll get you out of here."

Even though there were still so many negative feelings and emotions about his father that Pietro wanted to vent, he didn't allow himself to ruin the moment that he had just experienced. His father had actually done something for him that seemed like something any father would do for their child. His father…Magneto, had actually come for him and fought to save him. It caused many conflicts in the young speedster, but his exhaustion made it all too difficult to deal with at the moment. Now, all he wanted to do was rest.

"Blob, Avalanche…Take him back up to the X-jet and look after him," said Magneto as he saw the look of exhaustion on his son's face, "There should be some medical supplies there if he needs it."

"Right…" said Lance as he hitched one of Pietro's arms around his neck and helped him to his feet even though he looked out of it at this point.

"But what about you?" asked Freddy.

"I'm staying…I still have to take down Sinister," said Magneto with a renewed sense of determination, "Just watch over him…It will all be over soon enough."

With an affirmative nod, the two Brotherhood boys made began making their way back down the corridors where they had come from. Taking one last look at his wounded son, Magneto now felt more anger than ever towards Sinister. It was bad enough he had kept him involved in this state of endless war for so many months, but to have threatened his children…That was just too much. He had learned a lot as a result of being controlled by Apocalypse and he planned to put that knowledge and drive to good use now and finish what he should have done a long time ago.

Over with Betsy, the three Acolytes stood apprehensively around her even though she was in no condition to fight. She had still been an enemy that they had all fought on many occasions since this conflict began and while her most recent action seemed to hint that something had changed, her presence still didn't sit well with the ever suspicious Acolytes.

"So what do we do with her boss?" asked Sabretooth as they looked down at the tired Betsy Braddock, "She's still one of em!"

"No…" said Eric, signaling Sabretooth to stand down, "She saved my son's life. She killed Ruckus. For that…I think we owe her the benefit of the doubt."

"Then what do we do? Leave her?" asked Pyro.

"Of course not," said Eric as he then turned to Colossus, "Take her topside and get her into the X-jet with the others. If she needs anything, do what you can."

"Da…It will be done," said Colossus as he took the tired young woman in his strong arms, "But what about Sinister?"

Magneto felt a wave of raw hatred every time he heard or so much as thought of that name. It brought out so much anger and regret within him and it only reminded him of the many mistakes he had made in his long, illustrious life. Only now, he finally had the drive to confront those mistakes…And he had every intention of making sure he ended this conflict once and for all.

"Don't worry…" assured Eric, "I'll see to it that no part of him survives this time. This conflict has gone on long enough…Now I think it's best that I finish what I should have done so long ago."

* * *

While Magneto and his henchmen were dealing with Ruckus and Pietro, the X-men, Blake, Gambit, and Mystique were also making their way down what looked to be the same kind of corridors that the other side had. Like the others, they were laden with barrels of chemicals, storage areas full of equipment, and vast array of data files. And like the other side, these halls were just as difficult to navigate as the others and the only thing they had to go on was Logan's keen sense of smell.

"Keep moving!" urged Logan as he led the others along, "I'm gettin' a few trace scents!"

"Is it Kurt?" asked Mystique, eager to get her son out of this place as soon as possible.

"Yeah…But it's scattered!" answered Logan as he led them all down another turn.

"Great…I hope he's okay," said Rogue, who seemed equally concerned for her brother and more or less shook of the discomfort she felt in working with Mystique.

"Don't worry," assured Blake, "Sinister won't hurt him…Not unless we're there to see him suffer."

"Yeah…That's real comforting," replied Rogue sarcastically, not liking the prospects of what could happen to Kurt if they didn't get him out soon.

"Don't worry cherè," assured Gambit, "Gambit's faced these assholes before. Yo' brother's gonna be fine."

"Don't get cocky Gambit," said Blake, "You know as well as I do that Sinister never makes any victory against him come without a price."

Both Rogue and Kitty didn't seem to take much comfort in that as well as the same look of worry hung strong on their faces as she followed Logan along with the others. Jean was keeping her mind open for his presence, but she found it difficult to focus with the added stress she felt concerning Blake. His mind hadn't gotten any less chaotic and his chief focus remained on Sinister…He was the key, that he was sure of. But right now, they all had to focus on taking the only real advantage Sinister still had…His hostages.

"Jean! Do you sense anything?" asked Kitty, hoping they were getting close.

Jean struggled to keep parts of her mind focused, but it was just too difficult with all the strange things she was experiencing. Whatever she had done to cause Blake's mind to go haywire, it had affected her as well. Never the less, she did manage to keep her mind clear enough to some extent and picked up a few things through the heavily shielded walls.

"I'm…Not sure," said Jean as she kept trying to filter out the clutter, "The shielding is tough, but I'm getting a few unclear mental signatures…And they're close."

"How close?" she asked, desperate for any answers.

But before Jean could respond, they all turned another corner and were met with a sight that caused them all to stop cold in their tracks. They were now facing a long hall that led to the entrances to the main lab area…But in their way stood one imposing obstacle…Gorgeous George, who had a barely conscious Kurt in his strong arms, ready to snap his body like a twig at any second.

"Kurt!" yelled Kitty as Bobby and Rogue were forced to hold her back upon seeing the ghastly scene before her.

"Welcome to hell kiddies! I wouldn't take a step closer if I were you!" said Gorgeous George as he held Kurt before him as a human shield with his powerful grip holding a very woozy looking Kurt in place.

This instantly set Mystique off as she prepared to lunge forth and tear this man limb from limb, but Blake held her back…Knowing full well that Gorgeous was ruthless enough to do anything at this point and they couldn't afford to provoke him.

"That's my son you asshole!" yelled Mystique as she tried to break free from Blake, who struggled to hold her back, "I swear to God if you hurt one hair on his body I'll…"

"You'll do nothing you blue skinned bitch!" shot Gorgeous in response as he tightened his hold on Kurt, causing looks of pain to form on his face, "Any of you take a step closer and I'll crumple every bone in this kid's body into dust!"

Eventually, Mystique managed to settle down and stayed motionless as she saw the look of pain on her son's face. She couldn't bare it, but if she did anything about it…Kurt would be done for. The tension only grew as Gorgeous George grinned at the powerless group of mutants before him. As strong as they were, it only took a single hostage to render them all utterly harmless and to him it was a truly pathetic sight.

"Listen bub…" growled Logan with his claws fully drawn, "You know full well that if you hurt that kid…Then I'll make it so you're face will be ANYTHING but gorgeous!"

"Oh shut up animal!" scoffed Gorgeous, not looking afraid in the slightest, "You won't do shit! I know as well as you that you don't want to see this little freak's body in pieces! So step the fuck back! Otherwise I'll rip an arm off!"

Not taking this threat lightly, everybody stepped back. Logan still had his claws drawn and Blake's body was still glowing, but he didn't have a clear shot from this angle and he couldn't risk anything without putting Kurt in mortal danger. He knew this had to be some kind of ploy. Sinister knew he was surrounded and outnumbered and now he was putting into effect some kind of contingency plan…But knowing the sheer madness they were dealing with, it was unclear just what it was he was hoping to accomplish at this point.

"Listen Gorgeous…" said Blake as he and the others kept moving back, "You know that if you do this…It'll all be over for you. Are you really willing to die for a psycho like Sinister?"

Gorgeous just laughed at Blake's words. They didn't seem to have any effect on his twisted mind. He knew what he was doing…And he planned to carry it out until the bitter end.

"Kid…You really have no idea don't you?" said Gorgeous as stepped back towards the doorway as Sinister's plan had stipulated, "Everything…This whole operation…Revolves around you now. You're the one who Sinister is after…You're the reason why we're in this current predicament. Even long before your mind was wiped, you were a part of this!"

"What?" said Blake, now feeling only more confused as the ambiguity of his mind continued to torment him, "What are you talking about!"

Gorgeous just grinned as he saw the confused look upon the young man's face. Such a powerful young man…Yet he was still bound by the limits of his mind. Sinister was right…The experiment truly was incomplete with him. He had so much power yet as a human being, he couldn't tap it. And because of that human part of him, he was now rendered completely and utterly powerless by the current situation.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he said with a taunting smile, "I wish I could tell you…But right now I've got more pressing things to deal with…Like the little elf currently in serious need of some oxygen."

"No!" said Rogue as she watched as Kurt began to choke, "Let my brother go!"

"You're brother?" said Gorgeous with an even more amused look on his face, "I got to hand it to you Mystique, you really know how to make one mess of a family! I think the world will thank me for getting rid of one of your lousy offspring so that he can't further contaminate this already sick planet!"

"No…Kurt," said Kitty with tears in her eyes…Not wanting to watch another friend die.

Mystique watched helplessly as her son's face began to shift color as a result of his lack of air. A powerful lump formed in her throat that made her unable to yell or lash out or do anything to help him. Rogue had a similar expression as it seemed as though they were out of options. Everybody present could do nothing at this point no matter how angry or bitter they felt and Gorgeous George knew it. They had come to this base fully prepared to fight for the lives of their friends and now they were about to watch one of them die. Feeling as though he had just about had it with this situation…Gorgeous prepared to snap Kurt's bones with his bare hands.

"Enjoy the funeral shit heads…And be sure to save me some cake!" he grinned as he backed up to the door that led down towards the main lab area.

But then…As the door opened, Gorgeous George didn't notice a presence behind him. He was still oblivious as he was so close to ending Kurt's life…But before the final move could be made, a bright light illuminated the area behind him and Gorgeous George was hit with a wave of energy that completely overloaded his system and sent shockwaves of intense pain all throughout his body.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" he yelled as some of the others were forced to shield their eyes from the light.

Then…As the light abruptly faded, Gorgeous George released his grip on Kurt and fell limply to the ground. And behind him…Emma Frost stood with one of Sinister's deadly weapons in hand.

"He's right…Sinister's weapons really can do the trick," she said out of breath as the effects of the paralyzing blast she had suffered began to catch up with her.

Emma leaned on the wall for support as Kitty ran over to Kurt with Rogue, Mystique, and the others not far behind. He was gasping for air and coughing, but he was still conscious. With Kitty's help, he was able to sit up and open his eyes to see his friends standing before her along with Mystique and Blake. It took a moment for him to fully adjust, but once he did everyone was able to breathe a collective sigh of relief.

"It's okay Kurt…You're going to be okay," said Mystique as she looked down at her son whom she had come so close to losing.

There was an uncharacteristically tender tone in her voice that the others couldn't help but find strange, yet Kurt actually managed to smile somewhat at the words of his mother which threatened to make the old shape shifter tear up right in front of the rest of the X-men.

"I had a feeling you'd come…Mother," said Kurt, still taking deep breaths as Kitty helped him up.

"Well…I was due," she answered, unable to suppress her happiness upon hearing him call her that.

Rogue didn't show the mixed emotions she felt as she saw the look on Mystique's face that seemed so unfamiliar to her and everything she had so ardently believed about her, but she couldn't deny what she saw in the face of the woman she had come to despise so much. It brought out a lot within her, but she chose to hide it.

"You okay cherè?" asked Gambit as he placed a reassuring arm on her shoulder.

"Yeah…I'll be fine just…" but Rogue didn't have the words to finish and simply placed her hand over his, wanting something to hold onto.

As Kitty and Mystique helped the tired and exhausted Kurt to his feet, Logan and Ororo turned their attention to Emma, the one who had helped save him. She was still struggling to support herself, but she knew that was only the effects of the paralyzing blast she had suffered. It would ware off soon enough, but she didn't think all that much about it, for she just needed to get out of this place.

"Are you alright?" asked Ororo, looking far less apprehensive than Logan, who still had his claws drawn.

"Yeah…I'll be fine," she said, "And you can put your claws away Logan…I'm not one of Sinister's slaves anymore. He betrayed me…So I betrayed him."

Emma stood before Logan's penetrating stare as he searched for any hint of deception within this young woman. She may have taken down Gorgeous and she may have saved Kurt, but Logan was by nature a very suspicious man. However, he knew he didn't have time for this. Sinister was still up ahead and nothing would be safe until he was taken down.

"Right…And we should believe you…Why?" he grunted, growing all the more impatient.

"Well…I was hoping you'd take me saving blue boy from having his spinal chord crushed as proof enough," said Emma, annoyed at this dangerous looking man's lingering suspicions, "But here…If you don't believe me, shoot me anyways. It's not like it matters."

She then proceeded to give Logan the gun she had used on Gorgeous George. It was already set on its most deadly setting and Emma didn't care if he used it or not. Even if she did get out of this, she was still a wanted target of the Hellfire Club. She would be dead soon enough anyways.

Logan looked at the gun and thought about what she had just done. With so many other issues to deal with, he knew he had to make a decision. Following his instincts, he quickly made his choice.

"Fine…Ro, take her to the X-jet and get her some help," he said to Ororo as he then turned to Kitty and Rogue, "You two…Get the elf topside as well. We'll take care of Sinister."

"Right!" said Kitty as she and Rogue got on both sides of Kurt and helped him up, "Don't worry Kurt…You'll be okay now. We're here."

And as they began to take him away, Kitty gave the injured young man a small kiss on the cheek which helped Kurt set aside the pain in his body for a brief moment and smile back at her warmly. Mystique saw this and looked back with a shocked expression on her face…One that almost made Gambit laugh. But with far more pressing issues at hand, he felt it would probably be best if they got a move on.

"Don't ask Mystique…Believe me, you probably don't wanna know at a time like dis," grinned the Cajun as he looked back at the shape shifter with an amused grin.

"Shut up Remy," said Mystique as she rolled her eyes at the young man's comments.

"He's right though…" said Blake as he turned back towards the path before him, "We still have one last job to do…Take down Mr. Sinister."

"No kidding," said Logan as he once again shifted his focus to the task at hand, "Then I suggest we not waste any more time."

"For once…I agree," said Mystique, eager for some payback against this madman that had tried to kill her son.

"Good…" said Blake, feeling so close to the answers that he was so desperate to know, "Let's go!"

* * *

The two groups followed the path down the halls of Sinister's lab and converged near the entrance to the main area. The team was Logan, Iceman, Jean, Gambit, Mystique, Pyro, Sabretooth, Magneto, and Blake. And their only enemy now was Sinister. His Nasty Boys were gone and he had nowhere to run. He had some of the most powerful mutants on the planet after him now…Yet he remained undaunted, twisted his own madness into a powerful sense of invincibility that seemed to permeate even as things were quickly crumbling around him. He was in the central lab area, looking over his creations and preparing for the arrival of his enemies. His 150 year old body and mind had been warped to the point of insanity long ago and even with the looming prospect of destruction, he stood confident in the goals he had worked so hard on.

"My creations…My beautiful creations," he mused as he looked at his powerful machines that he had spent so much time and effort constructing, "So perfect…So powerful…Like a work of art."

Just then, a loud voice came booming through the tunnel leading into his lab.

"SINISTER!" yelled Blake, "We're coming for you!"

Despite the anger and rage in the young man's tone, a grin spread across Sinister's face as he recognized the tone.

"Blaze…My test subject has finally returned," he said in his twisted tone.

Then, appearing before him directly outside the entrance to the large lab area, his enemies stood ready and waiting to take him down once and for all.

"It's time to end this Sinister!" said Magneto, "You're treachery has gone on long enough!"

"Treachery?" shot Sinister as he looked back at the angry group of mutants with his bright red eyes, "You should talk Magneto…For it is because of you that this conflict has progressed. It is because of you my ultimate dreams were delayed…Both you and your blue skinned bitch have committed the ultimate form of treachery! You both betrayed me! We could have created the most superior race in the history of life! We could have wiped out every last speck of the mindless human masses together! You of all people should understand the majesty of my goals!"

"I would have in another life…" said Magneto, feeling as though he was facing everything he hated about himself as he saw Sinister standing before them without the guard of his Nasty Boys to help him now, "But things are different now…Things have changed. Time has brought new developments for all of us…And right now, your time is up!"

Sinister just laughed at his ex ally's words as he suddenly slammed his fist on a button of the control console.

"It's not over yet…Old friend!" he shot back, "There is still one last thing I must take care of…"

Suddenly, more of Sinister's guard robots appeared before the group of mutants standing before the powerful madman. They were the same kind of robots used against them on the surface, only this time they had another function that differed from the others that were just meant to slow down…This time, they were made to kill.

"You are a coward Sinister!" said Mystique as she and the others prepared themselves for combat once again against this madman's creations, "Stop hiding behind your mechanical slaves and fight like a man!"

"Ha! Come now Mystique, you should know me better than that," he quipped with his disturbing, mechanical laughter, "Why…If I'm not mistaken, you must think I'm crazy."

"Yeah, that's a real stretch…" commented Bobby.

"Enough!" bellowed Sinister, "The time has come! And I intend to finish what I started…And I think you know what I mean…Blake."

Blake's body was then engulfed in a bright red glow, for he knew what it was Sinister was talking about. But no matter how angry or threatening he looked, Sinister just kept grinning as he prepared for the final battle.

"I'm sure you won't disappoint me my most proud creation…As for the rest of you, have fun!"

Then, with one last sinister laugh, the swarm of Sinister robots lunged forth and attacked.

"All right mates! Here we go again! Time to heat things up!" grinned Pyro with a mechanical laugh as he formed two big fireballs and began scorching large numbers of robots while the others quickly took to the fight.

Mystique, Logan, and Sabretooth were the first to jump in and tear through the vast horde of robot guards. Bobby, Gambit, Pyro, Jean, and Blake once again stayed back and used their powers to attack from a distance and take down more robots like before. However, the machines were more aggressive this time and like before, they had the ability to adapt. Never the less, this didn't stop them from being torn apart by the dozen.

"Sinister!" bellowed Sabretooth, "I'm gonna make sure you pay for this shit! I'M ACTUALLY HELPING LOGAN!"

"Shut up fur ball!" grunted Logan as he tore through several robots at once with his claws, "Just keep fighting! I'll be happy to kick your ass later!"

Sabretooth's growls fell on deaf ears as Sinister quickly made a dash to the other side of the lab where another path led down to another series of corridors. However, Magneto saw this and didn't waste time dealing with these robots. Sinister had nearly killed his son and had kept him locked in this conflict for too long now. This was more than just a personal vendetta to him…This was a fight against the monster he once was before Apocalypse. And he had no intention of letting Sinister get away this time.

"Hold it Sinister!" yelled Magneto as he took to the air, breaking free of a cluster of robots that had tried to pile up on him, "I'm not letting you get away from me this time!"

As Sinister turned to see Magneto hovering in the air closing on him fast, he grinned evilly at his brash actions, for he was definitely not thinking straight in this fight especially considering what he had done to Wanda and Pietro.

"The conflict between us is over Eric…" said Sinister as his hands began to glow a dark red color, "You chose to betray me…So that just means you'll have to die when the time comes. Until then…Consider this your payment for your hypocrisy!"

Then, using the clear shot Magneto had presented him in his fit of rage, Sinister used the control he had over every cell in his body to generate a powerful concussive blast. Magneto had let his emotions get the better of him, for there was no way he could have reacted fast enough. And just as Sinister's actions finally began to process in his mind, the blast made contact and sent him flying back in the other direction.

"Eric!" yelled Mystique as she quickly fought off three robots and rushed over to his side.

Blake saw this and cleared the way for her…But then, something else caught his eye in the maelstrom of the fight that caused his mind to go on a fury of mental flashes. Suddenly, as he blew away three more groups of robots without too much effort…His gaze stood fixated on the machine in the center of the room.

While Jean was fighting hard alongside Bobby and Gambit to take out the robots from a distance while scanning for the projectors, she caught a powerful surge of his mental flashes in her mind through a deep, dormant connection that seemed to come back to life as she watched Blake stand in his daze. In the center of the lab, a nearly perfect replicate of the machine that Sinister had used on him to make his powers what they were now stood before him in real time. It was no dream…It was no haunting image that plagued his mind…It was real.

The closer he got to it, the clearer the images became. At long last…He was finally beginning to see them in the way he wanted to. It was as if whatever firestorm had been set off in his mind earlier by Jean was finally starting to organize itself into coherent thoughts. Through the connection that seemed undoubtedly linked to her…He began to find memories in these incomplete thoughts. He saw clear and vivid pictures of a flaming plane flying through the cold Alaskan sky as two boys…One of them him…Jumped into the icy air and were torn apart as the plane exploded and he fell to the ground. He saw clear and vivid images of him wearing a dirty blindfold on the street, suffering and struggling to live with constant starvation, hopelessness, and abuse. He saw more as he was taken in by Professor Charles Xavier and trained and taught to be a strong leader for the X-men while trying to keep his powers in control. Then…There was the image of Jean Grey. From the shy young girl who joined the institute all those years ago to the beautiful young woman she was today. He could see brief images of him and her together, holding hands, kissing, and making love. Then finally…As he reached out and touched the warm glass tube that had made him like he was now…A name came to him.

"Scott…Summers," he said in a low, dazed tone, "Scott Summers…Blake Hellstrom…Who am I?"

Jean looked back at the young man with undue shock as she felt inside her head all the images and emotions he had just experienced. Those memories…Those pictures…It was him…It was really him.

"Oh God…Oh my God…" she gasped as tears quickly formed in her eyes, "Scott…It really is him…He's alive."

Back at the institute, Professor Xavier was hit with the sudden surge in mental images as well as a look of great shock and bewilderment overcame him. His first student…The one they had all mourned and grieved for…Was alive. He had been alive this whole time and they didn't know it. Right under their noses…All while everyone was still struggling too deal with it…He was alive. He could sense the great turmoil in Jean's mind as she felt the long dormant connection that she had once shared with him come back to life through the gateway that had been opened when she entered his mind. Such a powerful moment…Such a shocking discovery. Professor Charles Xavier couldn't believe it…Scott Summers was alive.

'It's him…It's really him,' sent Xavier to everybody's thoughts, 'Blake is Scott…Scott is Blake. Scott's alive…He's alive.'

This thought was received by everybody present both in and out of the battle. Despite the lingering groups of robots still present, every last one of those present both X-men and non X-men alike looked back at the young man standing before the machine that had taken and given him so much.

"Cyke?" said Logan as he looked over at the unmoving young man still stuck in a daze before Sinister's machine, "Cyke, is that really you?"

Blake…No, Scott Summers…Released his hand from the tube and looked back at his bewildered friends. Everything was coming back to him…Yet there was still one thing missing…One very important feeling that he had to have before he could call himself anybody. And he knew exactly where to find it.

"Sinister…" he said, his voice brimming with determination as he finally understood what it was he must do.

Then, without another word, he ran off in the same direction where Sinister had gone. Jean didn't waste time, sensing through his convoluted mind what he was going to do. She quickly took to the air and flew over the lingering robot guards and went after the man she loved.

"Jeannie!" yelled Logan as he saw her go after him.

"Don't worry Logan! I'll be okay!" said Jean, who didn't look as though anything would stop her at this point, "I have to go after him…I have to find him! I lost him once…I'm not going to lose him again!"

Before anything else could be said, she was gone. Logan and Bobby were about to go after her, but a now revived Magneto quickly stopped them as he looked around at the lab that contained everything Sinister was going to use against the world.

"Let her go Wolverine…She can handle herself," said Magneto as Mystique helped him to his feet, "We have other things to deal with now…Like destroying this lab and making sure it never fulfills it's intended purpose!"

While Jean continued off towards her once dead beloved, Magneto and the others wasted no time in destroying the components and parts of Sinister's lab…Destroying in the means the madman had intended to use in order to create the next dominate species on the planet. And while they completed their task in stopping him…There was still one last matter to take care of.

* * *

The dazed and confused Scott Summers…Or Blake Hellstrom as he still was in many ways…Ran through the halls at full speed, not letting anything slow him down in his pursuit towards Sinister. This madman had taken everything from him…Everything that made him who he was. Now he was left with memories of two lives…Memories of two beings. As advanced his mind had become there still remained one shadow of uncertainty that hung over his mind. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn't find the answers…And he knew that there was only one person on this planet who may have them…Mr. Sinister.

As he ran down through several twists and turns, not letting any obstacle stand in his way, he found himself going through what seemed to be another tunnel similar to the one that led into the main lab. There was a soft yellow light and a deep humming noise echoing through the metallic walls. As he entered the large, spacious room he saw that it was the main power generators. Then…He stopped and looked around, sensing that he was close…Very close.

"SINISTER!" he yelled into the vast underground chamber, his voice brimming with a mixture of rage and confusion.

As he made his way up to the imposing generators, he saw a figure standing in the light looking back at him with red glowing eyes…It was Sinister. And he wasn't running anymore…It was more as though he was waiting for him. In his hand, he still had the strange gun that he had taken from the main lab before he and the others arrived and from looks of it, it seemed ready to fire.

The emotionally dazed and confused man who was torn between being Scott Summers and Blake Hellstrom used the vast energy that his body could tap in order to create a bright ruby red glow around his body…One that would surely deliver a deathblow to anybody it was unleashed upon…Even Sinister. But as he approached the 150 year old madman, an ominous grin remained upon his face as he raised the gun and pointed it directly at his creation.

"My most proud creation…You have finally returned," said Sinister, not sounding at all threatened by the situation at hand.

"You…" said Scott, his voice brimming with anger and rage as his body continued to glow, ready to unleash all of it's power directly upon this man, "Sinister…You took everything from me."

"Did I?" quipped the mad scientist with an insidious grin, "You are now one of the most advanced mutants on the planet. You have the power to obliterate, destroy, and eviscerate anything and everything that stands in your way. You now have a level of power and control that you could never have dreamed of before…You now have the capability to be the stepping stone that would lead the next dominate species to power on this pitiful planet!"

"I never asked for any of it!" yelled Scott in response, "I never wanted any of it! You took me…You USED me! Everything that made me who I am…You stole!"

"You were just another nameless face among the chaotic masses of unevolved human flesh," said Sinister as he firmly gripped his gun, "Even if your life had ended back at that lab explosion that I so dutifully set up…Would it have done anything? Would it have changed the world? No…Because you were just another nobody who thought he could make a difference when in reality you were just deluding yourself into thinking that your existence actually meant something. I gave you meaning…I gave you purpose…I gave you a destiny."

"You gave me YOUR meaning, YOUR purpose, YOUR destiny!" shot Scott, growing all the more enraged as he looked back into the bright red eyes of Mr. Sinister, "You destroyed whatever life I had just to further your own goals! And now…I'm stuck in this state between life and death. I'm stuck in this dream where I don't know if I'm ever going to wake up. You evolved my body…But you also evolved my mind while at the same time warping it beyond anything comprehensible. And in doing so, you've left me forever torn in this unending uncertainty…Bringing me nothing but more confusion and pain."

Sinister looked back and just laughed at the young man's predicament. His creation had brought forth so many possibilities…So many new things that even he could have never anticipated. Now he stood before it…Both proud and disappointed as he saw the confusion and anxiety that haunted the young man's entire being.

"Still lost in your own imperfections, aren't you my creation?" he said with a grin, "As advanced as you have become, you are still forever hindered from reaching your true potential."

"Hindered? What do you mean!" demanded Scott, tired of half truths and ambiguous lies.

"Your mind is still as human as ever," responded Sinister, almost sounding as though he pitied him, "The process may have been a success…But parts of it were still incomplete. Your true power level has yet to be realized because your mind acts as a balancing force, connecting you to your primeval past and keeping you from attaining true enlightenment. Emotions, feelings, desire…They are all human traits that breed the deception, jealousy, and greed that has destroyed this world. I was going to help purge you of them…Help you evolve to a level of thought beyond any mere human or mutant…Yet you remain incomplete…Not caught between life and death, but between life and evolution."

"So that's it? I'm just an incomplete experiment? A being where a word to define me doesn't even exist?" said Scott, or Blake…For he was still not sure.

"It is all a matter of relativity my most proud creation," said Sinister, feeling empowered by the hold he had over this dazed young man, "You have the potential…Yet it will never come to pass because you just can't let go of the emotions that weaken you. Your powers will never be truly as godlike as they can be as long as you keep clinging to the feeble hope that the order can be found out of chaos."

Still torn between Scott Summers and Blake Hellstrom, he thought about those words. His emotions were now on a higher level because of his enhancements, yet at the same time they were holding him back. It was a paradox of meaning…A true state of confusion that no level of knowledge could hope to alleviate. Yet still…There were some emotions that he was clinging to…Emotions that he could not let go of. Ever since he woke up, they kept him going…Driving him to seek the truth as the thoughts in his head were simply the mediums of finding it…Discovering both what it was to be lost and found…Connecting both the present and the past.

"No…You're wrong," said the confused young man as the light around him grew even brighter, "You're very wrong Sinister. You evolved my body and mind…Therefore there are certain things I can ascertain that you can't. No matter how much a genius you think you are, you can't think like me. I've felt these emotions…I've experienced their true majesty. Through my thoughts, I can't hope to understand them…But through my mind I can experience them in a way nobody else can. You simply believe that they are what is holding me back…Yet I understand one thing Sinister…I understand one thing that I know you can't."

"And what might that be?" said Sinister, who was beginning to grow annoyed by his words.

"I understand that knowledge alone can't bring evolution…I understand that the science you so covet can't take a regular human being and turn them into a god," said Scott, feeling stronger with each word he got out, "It is the experiences that count…It is not the plane of life, but life itself that brings each individual onto a greater level of existence. The evolution of the body can supplement the evolution of the mind…But it cannot replace it. Like it or not…I think, I ponder, I feel…And it is that which makes me stronger…Not the power that lies within my hands."

Sinister's cocky grin was replaced with one of true disappointment…For his most proud creation was not meant to think like this. He was meant to be so much more…He was meant to be the first of a new race that was beyond both mutant and humans. Yet now, he seemed only more human…Thinking and feeling in a way unique to him and him alone.

"You truly disappoint me Blake…" said Sinister as he kept his gun pointed right at the young man's body, "You really have lost whatever spark I gave you and replaced it with nothing more than human corruption."

That only got Scott's blood to boil even more as he felt so desperate to blow this madman away. He wanted to so badly…He wanted to just end it all right here and now. Yet still…Something was holding him back.

"I can do without it Sinister…" said Scott, his eyes now glowing with rage, "I came here to stop you…To destroy you…"

"Yet you can't…" said Sinister, knowing by the look in his eye that he was still confused, "As powerful as your mind has become…I still have something that you want…Something that keeps you from blowing me away."

"I only have questions now," quipped Scott, ready to end this right here and now, "And it seems as though only you have the answers."

"And why do you think I would tell you?"

"Because I have to know…" said the confused young man, feeling so close yet so far from the clarity he wanted so bad, "Who am I? Am I Blake Hellstrom? Or am I Scott Summers? Which one is alive? Which one is dead? Which one am I? Am I doomed to stay stuck in this tortured state of confusion? Forever awake yet forever dreaming? I have to know…I need clarity."

Sinister knew there was no going back now…His experiment had grown beyond his control and was now a failure. He had hoped it wouldn't come to this, yet he was completely willing to go through with it. One part of the process…One part is all it took. The experiment was never completed…And so Blake himself was not completed. He was forever hindered…Forever unevolved. It was a feeling that gave Sinister a great deal of anger and bitterness…And for that, it all had to end. And since had been the one to start it…He would be the one to end it.

"You really are a fool…" said Sinister as he gripped the trigger, preparing to fire, "Your mind, your body…So advanced yet so pathetic. All your strength and capacity for knowledge…Hindered by mere questions. It's really sad…I'm practically ashamed to be the one who created you. And for that…You must die."

"Not if I kill you first…" said Scott, his voice brimming with rage.

"But you can't…For I am the keeper of your precious answers," said Sinister with a snide grin, "This gun that I am holding is powerful enough to give you your clarity in at least some ways…And since I know you can't destroy me, you will have to die not knowing the answers…You will have to die forever stuck not remembering what you want. I know you seek answers…Yet you cannot find them anywhere else. And for that reason…You will die as you should have on that fateful day when you gave your life to save your friends. Face it Blake…It's over."

Scott felt unable to respond, still held back by his desire for clarity. So little was keeping him striking this man who had been the source of so much suffering…Yet the still couldn't do it. He still sought answers. It was as if time itself had froze…When suddenly, a loud, desperate cry filled the room and caught Scott's attention.

"Scott!" yelled Jean as she flew into the room and stopped a mere ten feet from the current duel between him and Sinister.

Scott turned and saw the tears of desperation and sorrow in the eyes of the beautiful redhead. She brought so many emotions to him…She had been the one to help him find the truth. Whatever spark she had set off in his mind, it had grown into a great fury of images and memories. Yet along with that…She gave him something more…Something deeper that went beyond any possible understanding. The dormant mind link that had once bonded them so closely together…The warm feeling that had once lent him so much comfort during times of darkness…Was now shining like the stars in the night sky, bringing him a feeling of warmth and comfort that he had never felt before. No matter how many memories Sinister had tried to erase…He had been unable to erase that deep connection. It was the one spark in his mind that had remained…It had been the medium for the new sense of clarity he now felt. And as he looked deeply into the eyes of Jean Grey…Something within him finally arose.

"Scott…Please," said Jean, short of breath and wrought with emotion, "I don't want to lose you again…"

Then…Something came over the confused young man as he turned back towards Sinister and did something that shocked both him and Jean…He smiled.

"I understand…"

Suddenly, just as Sinister was pulling the trigger…A blinding flash of ruby red light engulfed the room and Jean was sent flying back. Through the deafening bang, one last agonizing scream echoed through the room as Mr. Sinister felt every cell in his body dissolve and fry into nothingness under the intensity of his blast.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Then…As the light began to fade, nothing was left of Mr. Sinister…Only a smoldering spot of ground where he had been standing. And as Jean quickly returned to her feet, she ran over and saw a smoking body lying on the floor barely moving.

"Scott!" yelled Jean, feeling a wave of anxiety sweep through her, thinking she was about to live it all over again.

Then…As she reached his side, she found that he was still conscious. His breathing was labored and it looked as though he had taken a major blow from whatever weapon Sinister had. But he was alive…The man she loved was alive and she felt their link once again so deep within her mind, assuring her that it was him…It was truly the young man she had fallen in love with so long ago.

"Jean…" said Scott in a raspy voice as he opened his tired eyes to see her beautiful, angelic face.

"I'm here Scott…I'm here," she said softly as she took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, letting him know that they were together once again.

"My God…" he said as he reached up with his hand and gently touched her face, marveling at the angel who had given him so much, "I understand now…I remember. Jean…You're the woman…That I love. You're the one…Who saved me. And now…I can see your face…So clearly…"

Jean couldn't fight her tears as they began to blur her vision while she squeezed held his hand in hers, marveling at the wonderful feeling it brought. She could sense through their link that he had found it…He had found the answers. In the end…They didn't lie within Sinister…They lied within his heart.

"I…I can't believe it's really you," said Jean, choking on her emotions as she threatened to break down right then and there.

"It's me Jean…" assured Scott, letting the warmth of her touch sooth away the pain and exhaustion he felt all throughout his body, "I'm alive. I was so desperate for answers…Yet I had them all along. They never were with Sinister to begin with…They never were his to give. Now…I feel as though I truly am in a dream…A dream between life and death…A dream between both worlds…A dream I never want to awaken from."

"Scott…I love you so much," cried Jean, feeling as though the nightmare was finally over and they were both finally together again…And she would always treasure it deep within her heart no matter what.

"I love you too…Even in a sea of uncertainty…I'll always love you Jean."

Jean couldn't fight it anymore as she began to cry. She had just found the man she loved again. Not even death could separate them. Whether this was a world of dreams or a world of reality…She knew now more than ever that there was truly magic in both of them…Magic that she shared with Scott. Through the experiences that brought them together…To the love that they had found…It had survived and they were together once again.

* * *

AN: Well, there you have it! Sinister is finally gone and his lab is destroyed. Scott now remembers who he is thanks to Jean. It's been a long hard road, but they both managed to persevere. Now all that's left is the aftermath. It's almost over people! There are just a few more loose ends to tie up and it will be over! But before I get around to that, what do you think of this fic? Has it been an enjoyable read? Please tell me! Send me your comments directly via email or post them on the fanfiction website! It's almost over and I can't thank you all enough for reading it!

HURRY! REVIEW BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!


	23. What Dreams May Come

**Between Life and Death  
Chapter 23: What Dreams May Come**

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Here it is folks! The final chapter! It's been a long hard road, but it's finally coming to an end! I hope you all like, but before I begin a quick word to my wonderful reviewers!

**Quillian: **Thank you very much for all your support my friend! I'm glad you liked how it all came to ahead with the last chapter, now there's just a few more loose ends to tie up. Thanks again for all your support my friend! You rock! Peace!  
**Sprocket: **I'm glad that you see my fic as such a great piece in the sea of other stories out there! It's a story that's been in my head for two years now and I'm glad to finally see it completed! I can't thank you enough for all your wonderful support and I hope you like how I end this! Oh, and stay on the lookout for my next big fic! It'll be huge!  
**Simba317: **Wow, you continue to amaze me with your reviews even as this fic comes to an end! I can't tell you how much all your support and your inspirational feed back means to me! Now Sinister is gone, Scott remembers who he is, and the road to recovery can begin. This chapter should tie up a few more loose ends and then it'll be over. But fear not! My next big fic is already in the works and if you think this one was big, wait until you see the next one! Thanks again for all your wonderful feedback! You rock!  
**Aaron: **I'm glad you liked the fight scene so much my friend! It was one of the biggest scenes I've done to date! Now it's all over and there's nothing left but a few more loose ends. Thank you so much for your kind feedback! I really appreciate it! I only hope you like my next fic just as much! Thanks again! Peace out!  
**Strayphoenix: **Glad to hear that you liked that big speech from Scott in the end. It took a lot of thought and effort to get the words out right, but I truly wanted to convey a message with it and I'm honored to see that you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for all your wonderful feedback on my story and I'm happy that you enjoyed it! This may be the last chapter of this fic, but I already have another in the words that promises to be many times more ambitious! I hope you like it! Thanks again and peace out!  
**Agent-G: **Sinister's ace was his knowledge my friend…But unfortunately, even he couldn't have foreseen the impact Jean would have on Scott. Now there are only a few more loose ends to tie up and then it's on the my next fic! I know you're looking forward to it and it's almost ready! Thanks for all the support my friend! It really means a lot to me! You rock man! Stay cool like you always do! Peace out!  
**GothikStrawberry: **Wow, thanks for the three straight reviews my friend! Now you're just in time for the last chapter! There are still a few loose ends to tie up and I'm honored you have enjoyed this fic so much! I can't tell you how much it means to me! Thanks a lot! Hope you like the big ending! Peace out!  
**Doza: **I'm glad you liked how everything turned out in the end. There are still a few more loose ends to tie up, then this fic will be over. However, don't think I'm done! I already have another story waiting in the wings! I hope you like it as much as this one! It's going to be MUCH bigger and way more ambitious! Thanks again my friend!  
**Heartsyhawk: **Glad to see you back my friend! And you're just in time for the final chapter of this most profound story! The action has finally come and gone and the truth has been revealed, but there remain a few more loose ends left and they shall all culminate with this last fateful chapter. You're reviews have been such an amazing inspiration and I can't tell you how much they mean to me. Ever since "Extermination" you have given me such inspirational words that they truly have pushed me to write better in the long run. And no gift is greater for a writer than the inspiration to tell an even better story! And don't worry my friend, I have plenty more stories to come! Coming up next is a tale every bit as ambitious as "Extermination!" I hope you like it as much as you have liked my other fics! Thanks again my friend. I can't tell you how much it means to me. You rock! Peace out!

Also, a special thanks to: **Aniki19, Overlord, Howlerdrode, Diaz F, Telepathic Angel, Summers Groupie, Jenskott, X00001, Mark C, Wen1, Tim Digidestined of Loyalty, Angry Penguin, X-EvoFan, Speedy Gonzales, Rogue14, Jott Luuuver, Randommarvelfan, Livinitup.**

**Also, I have a fic that I'm co-authoring with Agent-G called "Hellfire and Brimstone." It's got Jott, Romy, Wandurt, Kiotr, Loro, and plenty more! Please read and review it! Also, I have another ongoing fic on the adultfanfiction website, so if you want to, go to my profile and check that out as well! And don't forget to review!**

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The facility that once housed Mr. Sinister and all his advanced technology had been destroyed. Both he and the Nasty Boys were no more and the insane dream that had driven the madman to impact so many lives was now over. Blake Hellstrom…Or Scott Summers as he now fully remembered himself as…Had been the one to deliver the final death blow to the mad scientist. In a strange twist of irony, the very being he hoped to accomplish his dream with became the final destruction of it…And now all that was left was to piece together the fragments left behind by the whole ordeal.

Upon returning to the institute Kurt, Pietro, Emma, Betsy, and Scott were given immediate medical attention. While Kurt and Pietro were by far the worst, neither of them would stay bedridden for too long. Pietro was eager to be by his sister's bedside again, for he had learned that she was going to be just fine and would wake up very soon…And he most certainly wanted too be there when she did. Kitty also stayed by Kurt's side as Beast gave him a checkup, but his injuries were only physical and nowhere near as serious as they could have been. For this reason, he wouldn't have to stay confined to the infirmary, but that wouldn't stop Kitty from playing the part of nurse until he was fully healed…Not that Kurt complained.

For both Betsy and Emma, they were pleasantly surprised to see that both Xavier and Magneto showed a lot more hospitality to them after having been the one to save Kurt and Pietro. Xavier also know that Betsy had been the one to give him the information that had been the decisive factor in finding and destroying Sinister so they were both welcomed and treated for the effects of the paralyzing blasts they had suffered. Both since both women were strong and the blast had been a lot weaker than the ones used against Scott and Wanda, they recovered fast as well.

For Scott Summers, the one who everybody believed to be dead for over a month now, it was a bittersweet return. He may have been unconscious most of the way, but he woke up just in time to meet with a crowd of friends who were eager to hug and welcome him back to the world of the living. Jean, of course, didn't leave his side. As shocking as the revelation had been to everybody, it had been a true miracle to her. The man she loved was now alive and well. As a couple, they had both survived death itself…And yet they persevered. Their mind link was now stronger than ever and the darkness that had been brought upon them by Mr. Sinister had finally lifted. And for the first time in what seemed like an eternity…They both smiled and the look of jubilation never left their faces.

For Magneto, Mystique, and the Acolytes…The war was finally over. Not long after it ended, Magneto made good on his word and paid each member in full that which he had promised. Upon getting his money, Sabretooth pretty much disappeared, not wanting to linger around Logan and the X-men any more than he had to. Remy, John, and Piotr were also paid and given the documents needed to help them all get back on track with their lives. It meant that Remy could pay off his debts and start over in a new place with a new life…And at the moment, he felt there were a few people, namely a beautiful girl with a white streak in her hair, in Bayville that made it worth coming back to once he did what he had to in New Orleans. The money and immigration papers for John would finally allow him safe passage into the United States where he finally start over and once again find his niche in a new life. And for Colossus, he was relieved to know that his family was finally safe from Sinister. The money and resources that Magneto provided would help his family immensely, paying off long standing debts and providing a decent education for his sister, Illyana. And while he was eager to go home again, Xavier let him know that he would always be welcome at the institute and hopefully he would find his place in the world.

As for the Brotherhood, they had no intention of parting even though Sinister was gone. After Pietro got back, they all pretty much crowded around Wanda's bedside, waiting for her to finally arise. Mystique was there, but Magneto had chosen to stay outside with Charles…Knowing he was probably the last person she wanted to see when she awoke. It was a solemn feeling, but he was still very relieved to know that both his children were now safe again…And he had no intention of leaving them in such danger ever again.

"Are you sure you don't want to be in there with her Magnus?" asked Charles as he and his old friend stood outside the intensive care doors looking in on the Brotherhood as they waited for Wanda to wake up.

"I'm sure Charles…" said Eric in somewhat solemn tone, "But trust me…Its better this way. I still have quite a ways to go with them."

"That may be true, but I think you've shown them quite a bit with this whole ordeal," said Xavier, thinking his predicament wasn't as hopeless as he thought, "You've shown just how much you care about them…You've shown that you are willing to repent for the past."

"But how will they ever trust me Charles?" said the master of magnetism in a tone still wrought with sorrow, "How will they ever see me as their father again after all the things I did to them?"

"I…Can't say for certain old friend," said Xavier as he looked back at Pietro and the still unconscious Wanda, "But I do know this…You really do love your children as any father should. And as long as they know that and you don't forget it…Then I'm sure that in time, you'll be able to put the past to rest and build a new relationship with them…One that you can all be proud of as long as you're willing to fight for it."

A slow smile spread across the old holocaust survivor's face as he looked back at his kids and then towards his old friend.

"After everything I've fought my whole life from Apocalypse to Sinister, I think I can safely say that this one may be the hardest…But the rewards are definitely by far the greatest," he said in all honesty, knowing that it would be a tough road ahead for him and his children.

Xavier couldn't help but smile as he saw the expression on his friend's face. It looked so different than that of Magneto. It was more as if he was beside the man he once worked with all those years ago and the friend that he had once shared such profound dream with. Even after their falling out, Xavier never once considered Eric Lensherr to be a true enemy. And now that he saw just how much he cared for his children, he was glad to see that he had finally found something to fill that void that had been left by so much suffering in his long, illustrious life.

"So what happens now?" asked the Professor, "What do you and the Brotherhood plan to do?"

"I'm really not so sure Charles," answered Eric, who had never had time to contemplate what he would do after the conflict with Sinister was over, "I'm thinking of maybe having them all move to one of my estates near Buffalo for a while where hopefully we can work a few things out and establish a new life…But I honestly don't know what the future holds for me or the Brotherhood."

"Well, as long as we're not enemies…I'm confident that the future holds many promises for the both of us."

"Well you don't have to worry about that for the time being Charles," assured Eric with a lighthearted laugh, "Believe me…After facing Sinister, I think I've had enough enemies for one lifetime. Right now…I hope to focus more on friends. Because as interesting as being a militant mutant supremacist was…It sure didn't leave a lot of room for friendship."

"I suppose not," said Xavier as he laughed as well, feeling thankful that the tragedy and conflict was finally over…For now.

* * *

In the intensive care bed where Wanda had been resting since her arrival, the rest of the Brotherhood remained by her side as her vitals improved more and more by the minute. She had been out for nearly 18 hours now, but thanks to Beast's treatments she was recovering fairly quickly and was starting to stir from her deep unconscious state.

"Wanda?" said Pietro, who now had bandages on his face and body from his injuries, but was not letting them get in the way of being with his sister when she needed it most, "Wanda it's me…Come on, wake up."

The Scarlet Witch began to groan as her mind returned to the world of consciousness, but the lingering effects were still there. Each bone in her body felt as though it had a lead weight on it and her head was throbbing as if she had slammed it into a brick wall. But as she began to move and open her eyes, she saw the blurry image of her brother and friends standing over her bedside smiling down at her.

"Hey there crimson cutie," said Todd in his usual flirtatious tone that he used around her, "Glad to you're finally awake."

Knowing exactly who that voice belonged to, Wanda slowly sat up, fighting the sore feeling in her body and her head as she became more aware of her surroundings.

"Ugh…I feel like I just got hit by a bus," she groaned, rubbing the temples of her head.

"Well that's normal for someone who's just come out of a light coma," said Mystique, glad to see that she was awake and looking like her old self again.

"Coma? What the hell happened to me?" she said, growing more confused, "Did I miss something?"

"Did you miss something?" said Lance with a laugh, not knowing where to begin, "Well let's just say you slept through a lot. But don't worry, we'll tell you. It's a long story."

"Yeah, and we kicked ass in the end!" boasted Freddy as Wanda's sense of awareness became clearer.

As she felt more strength return to her, she saw the happy looks on the faces of her friends. They were all beside her and glad to see her awake. While she was never one to get emotional, she couldn't deny the feelings of joy she felt upon seeing just how much they all cared for her. Being a girl who had been so alone for a large part of her life, it was a welcome feeling to know that she had friends and family that cared about her. Pietro looked by far the most relieved, feeling as though he had come so close to losing his sister again. Todd also looked very thankful as well to see her back in the world of the living. He hadn't left her bedside since everybody went out on the mission to take down Sinister and it showed Wanda that he really did care for her more than just as a simple crush. And while she was not familiar to such feelings, they did give her a sense of peace that she was truly thankful to have.

Mystique, Lance, and Freddy all looked just as happy to see her back in action. Wanda was a part of the Brotherhood and that made her a part of the family. They may have been branded by some to be punks and outlaws, but they were still a single unit and they had stayed united despite the dark threat that Mr. Sinister had presented. And now that he was gone, it left many new challenges and an uncertain future.

Then, as Wanda felt her headache start to wane to gentle throb, she saw her father standing outside the doors looking in at her. Immediately a look of anger and apprehension appeared on her face…However, Pietro was quick to notice this and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder to help calm her down.

"Easy Wanda…It's okay," he assured.

"What! What do you…" however, Pietro didn't let her finish, now wanting his sister to slip back into old habits.

"It's true Wanda," said her twin brother with an uncharacteristic look of seriousness on his face, "Things are a little different now…But don't worry. We'll all talk about it later. For now, just rest. And I promise you…It'll be okay."

As weary as she was about being in such close proximity to her father, the subtle assurance by both Pietro and her friends helped keep her calm. And from outside, Eric Lensherr could see his daughter awake and full of life once again. She may have still hated him, but that didn't make him any less proud to see her again and take in just how much she had grown. There was so much in her life that he hadn't been a part of…But now that Sinister was gone, he vowed to change that and become a part of their lives as he wish he had been so long ago.

* * *

Later, after Wanda was helped out of her bed by the Brotherhood and prepared for their inevitable departure, Mystique made her way up to the upper levels with the sole intention of having a few last words with her children. She had come very close to losing her son in this conflict and it had caused her to look differently and put into perspective what her children truly meant to her. She had used and manipulated them so much in the past that she never blamed them for hating her, but after being under the influence of Apocalypse and fighting alongside Magneto against Sinister she had come to see things a lot more clearly. She just wish that she would have done so a lot sooner, but she could not change that now…She could only let them know the truth that they so rightfully deserved to know.

The shape shifter found Rogue up in the living room talking to Gambit. He still had the same flirtatious look in his eyes when he talked to her that Mystique found somewhat discomforting…But what made it all the more suspicious was that Rogue might actually have been flirting back with him, for she was smiling.

"So I guess dat means you'll be waitin' for Remy after he fixes things up in New Orleans," he said in his confident Cajun tone.

"Don't push it swamp rat," said Rogue with a grin, who found herself playing along with the Cajun's game of attraction for a change…Knowing that it was more fun that she was willing to admit.

"Well just be sure to keep dat queen o' hearts Remy gave ya," he said, "Dat will keep you safe up until I get back. And then…Who knows? Maybe things will…"

Just then, he was cut off in mid sentence by Mystique as she let out a cough to make her presence known. The look on Rogue's face immediately changed as she saw the woman that had done so much to her, yet was still her adopted mother. Sensing the sudden tension in the air brought on by the shape shifter's presence, Gambit felt that it was probably best he leave.

"Gambit…Mind if I have a word alone with Rogue?" she said, making it clear that she had something to say that was only for her to hear.

"Uh…Sure Mystique," said the Cajun, "Gambit better go see if Peter and John are packed and ready to go anyways. Beast is gonna give us all a ride back home. I'll catch you later cherè…You know I won't leave without sayin' goodbye."

"Right Gambit…" said Mystique, still not amused by the Cajun's constant flirtation with her daughter.

As Gambit made his leave, Rogue still didn't look Mystique in the eye…Not looking at all too eager to talk to the woman that had used her so many times in the past. The shape shifter was about to say something, when suddenly she was cut off by a sudden 'bamf' noise as Kurt and Kitty appeared hand in hand before Rogue intent on asking her for a favor, yet not knowing just what they were stumbling into.

"Hey Rogue, I vas vondering if you could…" began Kurt before he turned to see his mother standing before them and fell silent.

While Rogue still looked apprehensive, Kurt on the other hand didn't look as troubled by her presence. He still remembered what she had gone through to save him and he still remembered her words of concern when his life was on the line. His presence was unexpected, but Raven Darkholme felt it was for the better anyways. She may not have been a very good mother, but she would not leave this institute without saying her peace.

"Uh…Should I, like, leave?" asked Kitty, feeling as though this was probably a 'family moment.'

"If you wouldn't mind…" said Mystique in response.

Kitty looked back at Kurt with a worried look on her face…One that Mystique took to be somewhat more meaningful than it seemed, but she shook it off for now. She had something to say and she wasn't going to let anything keep her from doing so.

"Don't vorry Kitty…It'll be okay," said Kurt with a reassuring smile.

While the young valley girl was still somewhat reluctant, she left the troubled family in peace as only Mystique, Rogue, and Kurt were now standing before one another in a strange feeling of awkwardness that permeated between the two siblings and their estranged mother.

"What do you want Mystique?" said Rogue in a somewhat bitter tone that Mystique had come to expect from her.

"I just wanted to talk to the both of you before I left with Eric and the Brotherhood," she said, making the sincerity in her tone clear for them both to hear.

"And what makes you think we wanna listen?" said Rogue in response, still finding it hard to believe.

"Rogue…" coaxed Kurt as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Come on Kurt! You can't tell me that you believe her after everything she's done!" said Rogue, not seeing how Kurt could even consider hearing her out.

"She fought alongside you to help save my life…" reminded Kurt, knowing Rogue had a knack for being stubborn, "She came here vorried for me…Vorried for you…Vorried for the both of us. I think she at least deserves to be heard."

Rogue looked back at her brother with a non-believing look, but as she saw the true seriousness in his expression, she knew he meant it. She didn't expect him to want to listen, but then she remembered just how determined Mystique had been to save Kurt. It was almost as if she was any other parent out there concerned for the well being of their child, but Rogue couldn't bring herself to believe that. She had so much hate and bitterness towards her that she truly didn't couldn't accept Mystique being anything other than what she thought her to be. But at the same time…She couldn't deny what she had done for Kurt in his time of need and like it or not…Part of her was intent on at least hearing her mother out if for anything, for closure.

"I don't expect you to listen much anyways…But there are just so many things I want to tell you that…I honestly don't know how to put them into words," said the shape shifter, struggling to keep emotions under control as she stood before her two children that she had hurt so much, "I just…I know you both didn't believe me that day in Egypt. I know that you may never believe another word I say whether I mean it or not. But I just…I want you to both understand one thing…Just one thing so that should I never get a chance to be the mother to you both that I should have been, you'll at least know how much you both really mean to me. It doesn't matter if you forgive me or go on hating me until the day I die…But please…At least remember that…I'm sorry."

Mystique struggled to keep tears from forming in her eyes, but it was just too hard…For there were just so many things she regretted and it brought her nothing but pain thinking about it. However, she was determined to make peace with her children…And at least give them the closure they deserved after having kept so many things bottled up for so many years.

"I'm still your mother…And your still my children," she said, trying hard not to choke on her words, "And whether or not you ever choose to believe me…Just know that I still love you…I still care about you…And I always will."

The bitter distaste that Rogue felt could not permeate through those words. In the strained voice of Raven Darkholme, there was an undeniable presence of true emotion. For over a year now, the shape shifter had been fighting a battle against someone who was more of a monster than she'll ever be. And through fighting him, she had seen the dark person that she was becoming. Right now, she wanted her kids to see that too…She wanted them to go on in their lives at least knowing that they have a mother out there who loves them…Not one who's out to use them. She had been waiting for this moment to say these words for so long now…And now she had finally done so.

"There…I've said it," said the shape shifter, "It doesn't matter how you respond…I just want you to remember…That's all. Even if it means absolutely nothing to you…I just want you to remember."

Feeling as though she had said her peace, Raven Darkholme turned around to go meet back up with Eric. But before she could take two steps, Kurt stepped forth and stopped her.

"Vait!"

Rogue looked back at him, wondering just what the hell he was doing. But it didn't stop Kurt…For he had something to say as well and even though Rogue probably wasn't going to say anything, he didn't want his mother to leave thinking that her words hadn't had an effect on them.

As Mystique turned around to face her son, she was suddenly shocked when Kurt slowly wrapped his arms around her and drew her into a hug. The look on the shape shifter's face was one of true bewilderment and Rogue could see it clearly even though she found Kurt's actions equally shocking. But the young man who had been captured and nearly killed knew what he was doing…And like his mother, he wanted to say his peace as well.

"Thank you mother…For helping to save my life," he whispered to her.

As she heard those words, a slight tear fell down her face as she actually smiled. She soon found herself hugging back, feeling the kind of warmth and comfort that she had never had a chance to feel before…Yet now here she was, holding her son, feeling so much pride knowing that Kurt had turned into such a wonderful young man.

As Rogue watched this scene, the look on her face fell from the stern expression of bitterness that had dominated since her arrival. She saw the tears in her eyes and heard the emotion in her words even though she didn't want to believe them. A hard lump formed in her throat as she saw the look on her mother's face. Part of her wanted to go over and hug her as well, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. All the pain Mystique had caused her and all the sorrow she felt in return was just too much for her to handle. Her eyes began to fill with tears as well, but Raven seemed to notice this and smiled back at her, letting her know it was okay…And she understood.

* * *

Later on, the rest of the Brotherhood boys helped Wanda get back on her feet and moving again. Magneto and Mystique had told them that they would be leaving soon and they should be ready to go. While Wanda was still anxious about being around her father, Pietro, Mystique, and the rest of the Brotherhood stood by her and gave their support to her which helped to ease some of those fears. Pyro, Gambit, and Colossus would be staying behind at the institute for a while since the Professor offered to fly them to their homes. Their service in the Acolytes was officially over now and each one of them had lives to rebuild. But for Betsy Braddock and Emma Frost, the situation was a little different.

After having been the decisive factor in their victory against Sinister, Xavier and Magneto had gotten them out and helped them recover from their injuries. While they never got what Sinister had promised them, they both took comfort in the knowledge that such a madman was now gone for good and it was because of their actions that the world would now be a lot safer without Mr. Sinister. They both had lives to return to, but there still some issues that they both needed to resolve if they were going to find the peace that seemed so unattainable under Sinister.

"Well Professor, I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for us," said Emma as she, Betsy, and the rest of Magneto's crew stood out on the front lawn near the metal spheres that would be the vehicles for their departure.

"Think nothing of it Ms Frost," said the Professor as he stood with Scott and Jean by his side, "It's because of your and Betsy's actions that we were victorious. Without the information you gave us or the sacrifices you made to stop the Nasty Boys then it's very possible that we wouldn't have been successful."

"Well Sinister was seriously getting on our nerves for some time," said Betsy, "I just wish we could have done something sooner before things got so out of hand."

"There's not much we can do to change that now Betsy," said Scott, who had come out of this whole ordeal the most changed, "We're all alive…Sinister's dead. That's good enough in the end."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right Bla…I mean Scott," said Betsy, quickly correcting herself.

Scott was still greatly troubled by the whole ordeal and he stayed very close to Jean, taking comfort in her presence. There were still many issues left unresolved and there were still many things that plagued his mind, but he tried not to think about that now as he focused on the task at hand with those who helped him to get his life back.

"So what's next for you two?" asked Jean, "What are you going to do now that you're free from Sinister?"

"Well I can't do too much…" said Emma with somewhat solemn look on her face, "I'm still wanted by the Hellfire Club and now that I'm without protection, they'll come after me and kill me in any possible way for something they thought I did."

"Hey, maybe you can come with me and lie low for a while," offered Betsy, not wanting to see her friend just head out into the world unprotected from a bunch of determined killers.

"No…I can't do that," said Emma, shaking her head in remorse, "That would only bring the danger to you and I don't want that. Those pricks want only me…And unless I can prove otherwise I don't see how I'm going to make it more than a few months out there."

Just then, Magneto and Mystique approached from behind them after having constructed a few more spheres for the rest of the Brotherhood and overhearing their conversation.

"Actually…We might be able to help you with that Emma," said Mystique, which caught Emma's full attention, "You see…When we were fighting against Sinister, we managed to hack into his computers on a few occasions. While he eventually got the upper hand in that game, we did manage to get some secure data that he was closely guarding."

This definitely sparked Emma's intrigue as Magneto then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small computer disk.

"Sinister may have had a technological advantage, but he was far from perfect in using it," said Magneto as Emma's eyes remained fixated on the disk, "During our last computer run, we managed to find the location of Sinister's first base. He made one crucial mistake which allowed us to get into his computers which is the only reason why we managed to find him and surprise him the first time. And while in his computers, we did get a bit more data that I think you might find useful. It had to do with the Hellfire Club."

"The Hellfire Club?" said Emma, feeling shocked that Sinister would actually have such information if he had no intention to pay her or Betsy back, "What did it say?"

"It mentioned an assassination ploy by some guy named Sebastian Shaw," answered Mystique, "We didn't know what it meant, but we kept it anyways."

"Shaw! I knew it!" said Emma, as everything finally seemed to fit together, "Only he would be crazy enough to make up some elaborate scheme and blame me for it!"

"Wait…Sebastian Shaw?" said Betsy, "Isn't he the guy you…"

"Don't say it Betsy…" said Emma with a groan, knowing exactly what she was referring to and not wanting it to be revealed to everybody present.

The purple haired mutant suppressed a laugh as she saw the look on her friend's face, but it was practically impossible for her not to look downright humored at the irony of her situation.

"Well, if it that's the case, then I think this data should help to clear you name," said the master of magnetism as he handed the disk to Emma.

"Don't worry…It will," said Emma as she took the disk and held it securely in her hands, feeling as though she had just had her life handed back to her, "And once I blast this to the Inner Circle, they'll be too busy fighting and killing each other to know I exist."

"So I guess that means you're finally free?" said Betsy as she saw the look of jubilation on her friend's face.

"I…I guess so," said Emma, finding it hard to believe, yet feeling so happy that she could finally start over again, "I don't know how to thank you for this."

"You helped us take down Sinister…Consider it even," assured Magneto.

Emma had never felt so relieved in her life…She finally had escaped the prison she had brought upon herself. She had made many mistakes in the past, that she couldn't deny, but she was willing to learn from them now and move on, hopefully never again taking her freedom for granted.

"So what about you two?" asked Betsy as he looked at the two mutants who had once been their enemies, "Where are you going to go now that this conflict is over?"

"For now…I think we all just need some time to put things into perspective," said Mystique, thinking back to the emotional moment she had shared with Kurt and Rogue a mere hour ago, "Now that the conflict is over, we all have a chance to rebuild."

"So I take it that means you'll be going away for a while?" inquired Xavier, somewhat saddened that he wouldn't get the chance to talk help his old friend in this time of great transition.

"Yes…But only to my estate in Buffalo," said Magneto, "And the Brotherhood is coming along so I guess that means the X-men will have Bayville to themselves for a while at least."

"I guess…But should you ever feel the need to talk, you know where to find me," said Xavier as he shook hands with his friend, helping to cement a new beginning for the both of them.

"Thank you Charles…I'm glad to know that there was always someone out there who never gave up hope on me."

Then, both Mystique and Magneto turned to Scott, the young man they had saved from Sinister and taken in without even knowing who he really was. Upon learning the truth, they had definitely been shocked to say the least…But then again, as Blake Hellstrom they had gotten to know him in a way they never would have otherwise. They experienced first hand the kind of man he was. He had actually looked beyond their sinister personas and learned more about them than he ever would have as Scott Summers. And like it or not, it was because of them he wasn't another one of Sinister's mindless slaves.

"Well Scott…I guess this means we both owe you an apology," said Magneto, still finding it a bid disconcerting that he was standing before two people in a ways.

"No you don't…" said Scott in response as he looked back with a light smile at his two former enemies, "You saved me from Sinister, took me in, and even taught me a few new tricks."

"I suppose you can take that as payment for the whole Mexico thing," said Mystique, feeling a bit awkward that she had become friends with someone she had once tried to kill without knowing it.

Scott couldn't help but laugh somewhat, for this whole thing was somewhat humorous in a way. Not only had they taken in someone they once thought was an enemy, but they had befriended him as well. He had to admit, there was no way he ever would have seen the lighter sides to Mystique and Magneto had he not had his memory wiped clean, but now that he had…He was somewhat grateful in a way because it helped show him a few things about judging people that he never would have learned otherwise.

"I'll keep that in mind Mystique," said Scott, "But even though things got a little complicated too say the least…I owe you both a lot. So for that, I guess I should say…Thank you."

Scott then held out his hand as a token of peace, which both Mystique and Magneto took turns shaking. As awkward as it was…They both had to admit it was a little funny how things turned out in the end. They had saved one of their enemies without knowing it, yet when they all learned the truth…The strange friendship they had developed did not go away. It definitely put a new perspective on things, for it truly showed just how much they didn't know about each other and just how strong a tie they could develop simply by allowing themselves to get to know one another.

Just then, the Brotherhood came out through the front door and made their way over to the spheres. Pietro was still helping Wanda move as the effects of her injuries gave her somewhat of a limp that Beast assured would wear off within a day or so. They were all ready to go…Ready to put this ordeal behind them and start anew. There would be many challenges ahead for all of them, especially Wanda and Pietro with so many pieces of their broken relationship with their father left to put back together. But this whole ordeal had helped them all see things differently through the chaos and turmoil and as long as they had the drive to stick together with their family and friends, then they were confident that there was no obstacle they couldn't overcome.

"Are you all ready to go?" asked Mystique as she went over to help Pietro with Wanda.

"You bet! I think we've overstayed our visit here anyways," said Lance as he and the others made their way towards the spheres.

"Oh come on Lance, it wasn't that bad!" said Todd, knowing he was probably eager to simply put this whole thing behind him like the rest of them were.

"Yeah, give it a rest already man," said Freddy in agreement.

"Don't start guys…It's been a long day," said Lance, still feeling somewhat sore from all the conflict he and the others had been through.

"No argument here yo…But at least it's over now," said Todd.

"Amen to that!" said Pietro, "And I don't know about you guys, but I sure could use a vacation."

"Same here…As soon as I get all the feeling back in my legs," said Wanda, still struggling somewhat with her coordination.

As the Brotherhood gathered around the spheres, they looked back at Scott, the one who had actually led them without them even knowing it was him. As Blake Hellstrom he became their friend, but as Scott Summers he had always been a bitter enemy…So what did that make him? He had done a lot with them and had even helped save them when the Nasty Boys first attacked. They had come to know the man behind the name and the glasses even though they hadn't known it. In the end…It was ironic how things ended up, but for all of them, the impact left by their time together was undeniable.

"So…I guess this is goodbye Blake…I mean uh…" stuttered Todd as he stood awkwardly before the older boy that had been both a friend and enemy at one point.

"It's okay Todd," said Scott with a reassuring smile, "I know what you mean."

"So all this time we were really being led by the leader of the X-men and didn't know it…You got to admit, that is pretty weird," said Freddy, not knowing what else to say at this most unusual moment.

"Yeah…It is," said Scott, feeling at a loss for words as well.

"But I have to admit…It was kind of fun," said Wanda, giving him a reassuring smile that she didn't harbor too much bitterness over the whole thing.

"Yeah…It was," admitted Scott as he thought about it, "Hell, now I'm the only one who can say that he's been on all three teams."

"Just don't think it makes you any less a dork Summers," said Pietro with a grin, earning him an elbow to the ribs from Wanda, prompting him to add one last part to his comment, "But…I guess I do kind of owe you for saving my ass earlier and helping Wanda."

"Thanks Pietro…Coming from you, that means a lot," said Scott.

Lance was the last one to speak, for he and Scott had always been such bitter rivals, yet as Blake they had actually become fairly decent friends. There were some similarities about the both of them that neither could deny. They were both leaders and they were both dedicated to their place in life…Yet there remained so many things that they had fought over. But now…They didn't seem nearly as relevant given what they had just been through.

"So I guess this means you won't want my help fixing your jeep anymore?" said Scott lightheartedly, managing to crack a smile.

"I'll manage…" said Lance, "But you know this means we can't really be friends anymore."

"And why's that?" asked Scott curiously.

"Complications," answered Lance, "They may get easier with time…But for now, let's just keep it simple."

Lance then turned away and was about to climb into the sphere, but Scott had one last thing he wanted to say to him before he and the Brotherhood made their final leave.

"Lance…" he said, causing him to turn around and face his friend and enemy once again, "Take care…"

Then, as Scott held out his hand, Lance managed to smile as he shook it in a gesture not of friendship or animosity…But as one of respect.

"Likewise…" said Lance as he and the Brotherhood got into their respective spheres and prepared for take off.

From the windows of the institute, some watched as their former enemies prepared to leave. For Kurt and Rogue, who were looking back at the sphere carrying their mother, it was a powerful moment. It was a strange twist of fate to have rejected their mother and left her that day in Egypt only to have them accept her a year later yet still leave as well. There were many complications about their relationship with Mystique that they knew would be hard to resolve…But after today, it felt as though they had actually made some progress and now it there were so many possibilities for the future…And no matter what happened, they would all face them as the family they were and always would be.

As Kurt and Rogue waved goodbye to their mother, Kitty and Remy were standing there beside them. Kitty was holding onto Kurt's hand, lending him the comfort only she could give him at a time like this. After having come so close to losing him, Kitty Pryde had come to realize just how precious he was to her. Scott's supposed death had brought them closer together and this whole ordeal with Sinister had helped put it into perspective. Remy also stayed close to Rogue, although she didn't seem to mind it all that much. Even though she found some aspects of his actions annoying and even though she knew he would be leaving soon anyways, she couldn't deny that she felt a little bit better about the ordeal when she was around him. His smile helped assure her that there was plenty to look forward to and plenty to be hopeful for as she and her little brother watched their mother leave again…This time, with a feeling of closure knowing that they had someone else out there who still cared for them more than they could ever understand.

Outside, Scott, Jean, Emma, Psylocke, and the Professor waved goodbye to Magneto and his departing team under the light of the setting sun. After so many years of animosity and fighting, it took not one but two horrible threats to put in perspective what true evil was. And on both occasions, they fought and triumphed by working together and in doing so, they were able to put many things in perspective that they never would have otherwise without the power of tragedy and the sheer terror of darkness. But with both Apocalypse and Sinister gone, it left many things to be thankful for and brought forth new chances to rebuild lives, relationships, and dreams.

"So Betsy…Now that we're finally free, are you going to find some other prick to work for to get that old body of yours back?" smirked Emma as she looked back towards her friend.

"You're a real bitch, you know that Emma?" grinned Betsy, knowing that Emma was still Emma even now as all the turmoil they had faced together seemed to finally come to an end.

Emma Frost merely laughed and shook her head and turned back to Xavier.

"Oh and Professor…Before we leave, don't forget to let Betsy make a phone call."

Knowing what she meant by that, they all returned back into the mansion. Many challenges had been faced, but in the end they had all come out alive. Some would be drastically changed by this whole conflict forever, but the lessons learned would remain clear as they all moved began anew. Everybody had something to be thankful for now that it was over. And as for Elizabeth Braddock…She had a phone call too make to a very special winged man that she should have made long ago.

* * *

Emma, Betsy, Gambit, Pyro, and Colossus didn't linger much longer after Magneto and the Brotherhood left. After staying for dinner, they were all off and on their way to continue their own lives, leaving behind a vow of future friendship to Xavier and his students if they ever needed it.

During most of the dinner, everybody crowded around Scott to hear his tale of what had happened. The details may still have been a little fuzzy to him, but he remembered now…He knew what had happened to him. Despite all the complications brought on by this whole ordeal, some good did come out of it. Scott's powers were now stronger than ever and fully under his control. He didn't need his ruby quartz glasses or visor to keep himself from hurting his friends and loved ones. In addition, his body was a lot stronger physically now, but he still spoke in an altered voice and his hair was still different from its old chestnut brown color. Add to that, the tattoos Emma had given him were permanent and couldn't be removed easily, but it didn't matter to Scott's friends…For that didn't make him any less the young man who had been their friend and leader and would continue to do so whether he was Cyclops or Blaze.

However, for some, seeing Scott Summers alive again brought out many mixed feelings…Namely in Bobby and Kurt. Ever since the accident that supposedly killed him, they had been beating themselves up incessantly with guilt over having been the ones who had been let him die. It brought forth unbridled anguish…But looking at him now even in a different looking body didn't make such memories any less difficult.

After dinner, both Bobby and Kurt pulled Scott aside from the others so they could talk in private. As hard as it was to look at him again after what they let happen, they still wanted to say their peace.

"Scott…" said Kurt as he, Bobby, and the man he once failed to save now stood in the hall near the stairwell, "I think I owe you a major apology mien friend."

"Yeah…Me too," said Bobby, scratching the back of his neck, feeling somewhat awkward at the situation before him.

"Apology?" said Scott, not seeing what they meant, "What do you guys have to apologize about?"

"Scott…You…Died because of me," said Bobby, his voice wrought with conflict, "Back at that lab…You gave your life to save mine."

"And I vasn't there to save yours vhen I could have…" added Kurt, "If I had just been a little stronger or a fraction of a second faster…Then all this might never have happened…None of this heartache vould have taken place."

"Guys…" said Scott, looking back at his friends with the eyes that were once forever concealed by his ruby quartz glasses, "What's done is done…You weren't responsible for what happened back there…It was all my doing. I made that choice…I fell into Sinister's trap."

"But you didn't have to!" exclaimed Bobby.

"But I did…" retorted Scott, "And I'd do it again…For all the same reasons."

Thinking back to what Professor Xavier had revealed to them about his past, a hint of understanding came over both Kurt Wagner and Bobby Drake. They had learned a lot about Scott Summers through this experience…More than they ever could have imagined. He had lost and suffered so much in his life…And for that, he was willing to sacrifice it all for the sake of his friends. Loss had been a big part of his life…And both Bobby and Kurt had just gotten a taste of what it was like when they believed they had lost Scott. And in many ways…It would never escape them. But as they stood before their once fallen friend…At least they had some closure to what had once hung so gravely upon their weary young minds.

"Scott…I know that you don't think ve vere responsible," said Kurt, wanting to make one last point before all was said and done, "But…After vatching you…Die. It…Made a lot of things very clear. I don't think I can ever forgive myself…But at least…Vould you forgive me for vhat I failed to do?"

"And would you forgive me for what I did as well?" asked Bobby, wanting to make his peace as well, "I just…I guess you were right about me not being ready for the main team."

Scott Summers just smiled back at his friends, for they seemed to learn so much even though it had been such an awful experience. As much as they blamed themselves for what had happened…It was clear to him that they had truly taken something from such tragedy…Something that would only help them both as individuals…And as X-men.

"Come on guys…You know me…Dead or alive…I'd still forgive you," he said, "And Bobby…Don't consider for a minute that you're not ready for the team. Because if what I've seen from you throughout this experience is any indication…You're every bit the X-man material I knew you were."

Both Kurt and Bobby managed to smile as Scott finally walked off to his room…Where a certain beautiful redhead was already waiting for him. Even though his new appearance would always be a constant reminder of what they had failed to do, the knowledge that their friend was alive and well and had forgiven him was good enough to keep them strong for whatever challenges the future had in store for them.

As Bobby made his way back down towards the others, he met up with his new girlfriend Jubilee…The young woman who had helped him a lot through the agonizing ordeal. She could tell by the smile on his face that he had made his peace…And that he could finally move forward after having gone through so much.

"I take it he forgave you…" she said to him as she took in the smile on his face the likes of which she hadn't seen since the accident.

"Yeah…He did," he told her, his voice now sounding so much more like the Bobby Drake she had known and come to care for.

"So I guess that makes my boyfriend a true X-man!" she said as they both walked back down the halls towards the others in the den hand in hand.

"Yeah…I guess so," said Bobby Drake proudly, for he now he could truly call himself one.

Over with Kurt, he had chosen to return to his room instead of the others. After having been captured and nearly killed, saved by his estranged mother, and discovering that a friend he had once thought to be dead was in fact alive it all had left him truly exhausted. But such feelings aside, he couldn't help but smile…For it had all been worth it in the end. He would never be able to escape the lingering feelings of his failure to save his friend…But at least now he had learned to move on…And he had every intention of doing so, this time with more strength and wisdom than before.

Waiting for him in his room much to his joy was the girl whom he had grown so close to as a result of this trying incident…Kitty Pryde. It was strange how a tragedy such as the death of a friend had brought them together, but now they had a new beginning to go on…A new start to build upon.

"Are you going to be okay, Kurt?" asked Kitty, her tone still somewhat worried as she looked at the young man who had shared such sorrow with her through the whole ordeal.

Kurt responded not with words, but with actions as he suddenly leaned forward and gave Kitty a big kiss on the lips. It had surprised her…But she quickly found herself kissing back as she wrapped her arms around him and held him close…For now the both of them could safely say that a new beginning was upon them…And they would work to make it as meaningful as possible with their friends and each other.

* * *

After all the stories, reunions, and jubilant cries from the others that lasted well into the night, it was finally time for him and everybody else to move on from this most tumultuous day and await for a new one to dawn. As the late hours of the night fell upon them, both Scott and Jean made love…Tenderly, passionately, and thoroughly. They had come so close to losing each other forever and neither of them wanted take the time they had together for granted again. What they had was very precious. They shared a truly unique bond that went beyond all measures of understanding…One formed by true friendship and love. And this whole ordeal had only made them realize just how powerful it was. Even when his mind had been completely wiped clean of who he was…The connection between them still remained and in the end, that's what helped him find the answers he was looking for.

As Scott and Jean lay in bed, still naked from their long drawn out session of love making, Scott was still awake and stuck in a weary daze as the clock approached midnight. There were still so many thoughts running through his mind, for he was unable to stop thinking about what this whole ordeal had truly done to him. Beside him and safely enraptured within his arms, Jean was sound asleep for the first time in long while…But he could not sleep…Not when he was being assailed by so much uncertainty.

As he carefully slipped out of bed so as not to wake his sleeping lover, he put his clothes back on and found himself walking down through the mansion and out towards the backyard at the ridge where his grave had been placed. With him, he carried his ruby quartz glasses…A testament to his past and a ghost in his future. And under the cool, crystal clear night he found himself standing over his own grave…Reading the epitaph over and over again which read, _In loving memory of Scott Summers. Friend, leader, and X-man. He will truly be missed. May he rest in peace._

He was alive and well…Yet he was standing before his own grave which pronounced him to be dead. In the silent of the night, Scott Summers found himself in somewhat of a paradox…Feeling both alive and dead…Between both worlds. He didn't know how long he stood frozen in his state of confusion, but no amount of time brought him any closer to the closure he so desperately desired.

Suddenly, he was brought out of his thoughts by a soft voice that seemed to know all too well what was going through his tortured mind.

"Scott?" said Jean in a worried tone as she approached the gravesite.

As he turned around, he saw the look of concern in her beautiful green eyes and he could feel the sudden warmth of her presence through their link.

"Hey…" he said in his deepened voice, "Did I wake you?"

"No," she replied, "The bed just got cold all of the sudden and I realized you weren't there…So I got dressed and came to the one place I had a feeling you'd be at this time of night."

Scott managed to smile slightly at her knowledge of him as she moved in closer and gently took his hand within hers and held it tightly, giving him something to hold onto in his confused and distraught state.

"So what are you doing out here?" she asked as she saw his gaze return to his own tombstone.

"Thinking…" he answered simply, not tearing his gaze away from the grave that bore his name.

"About what?" she asked.

Scott was silent for a moment as he stood transfixed on the sight before him, but that only seemed to worry Jean further as he wrapped an arm around her waist and hugged her close to him.

"Come on Scott…You can tell me," she assured him.

"It's just that…All this time…Ever since I found the answers…I keep getting bombarded with more questions," he said in a haunted tone, "I know who I am now…I have all my memories back…I have my friends and family back…And most importantly, I have you back Jean."

He then turned to face her, allowing her to see the beautiful blue eyes of his face that she had not been able to see for so long. They were so enchanting to her…They told so much about this man that she had fallen so madly in love with after all this time. They offered a window into his world of pain, but they also gave her a glimpse into the soul of the man she was forever connected to.

"So what's bothering you?" she asked, desperate to know and help her soul mate when he was in such a tumultuous state.

"Many things…" answered Scott, "But the one thing I keep asking myself is…Who am I? Who am I really? When I look in the mirror, I can't help but think…Who am I truly looking at? Scott Summers died back at that lab explosion…And Blake Hellstrom never even existed to begin with. So who does that make me? Who am I truly at heart?"

There was a gentle strain in his tone as Jean reached up and gently stroked the side of his face, trying to sooth away the pain he felt from both the past and present. There were many questions he had, yet there were only so many answers she could give. And many of these questions didn't even have answers…They had only more questions. But as Jean looked into his eyes, she knew there were many things within this man that had been complicated by tragedy and loss…But at the same time there was so much strength and hope that was worth hanging onto.

"I…Wish I could give you all the answers you deserve Scott," she said as gazed back into his eyes, "There's only so much I can do. But I do know this…You are who you are…Whether you're Scott or Blake…New body or old…You are your own person. You are a man who's had so many things taken away from him, you are a man who has suffered more than anybody should, and you are a man who has grown into someone so strong and so brave that…I'm very thankful to have you in my life. And no matter who you are…You are and will forever be the man I love."

Scott didn't have any words to respond to that. He could see slight tears forming in the eyes of this beautiful redheaded woman that had captured his heart in a way that defied description. And through their link, he could feel the power of her words…Lending him more than just strength…But comfort as well. She had given him so much…She had given him his life back. And no matter who he was…He knew now more than ever that this was the woman he truly loved…This was his true friend and soul mate without a doubt in his mind.

Slowly, their faces drew together and they met in a deep, passionate kiss…One that gave them both strength and closure as midnight fell upon them and a new day began. There clear tears in both of their eyes as they held each other close, never wanting to let go of the warmth only they could offer each other ever again. Through their link, they sent feelings of great joy and love, helping to solidify this one powerful moment.

Then, as they finally parted, one more question remained between the both of them.

"So what happens now?" he said as he looked back down at his ruby quartz shades and then towards the grave.

"I don't know…" said Jean, finding it difficult to look at the tombstone that she had shed so many tears over, "You're alive now Scott…You're standing before me right here in my arms."

"But it still feels like a dream between life and death…" said Scott, keeping a tight hold on his lover, "It feels like…I don't know…Like I'm between both worlds."

"Well I can't tell you which world this is…" said Jean, sensing his confusion, "But as long as you're in the world we're in right now…Then that's all that matters. Whether in a dream world or the real world…It's all up to you Scott. You can make it in whatever way you desire…It all depends on the precious things you hold onto…And the faith you have in yourself."

Looking back down at his glasses, Scott Summers couldn't help but smile at Jean's words. Whether he was in one world or the other didn't matter…For at this very moment, he was standing in the warmth of his soul mate. And no matter how many questions plagued his mind…He needed only to look into her to get all the answers he needed.

Then, as he looked back at his own grave…He finally made his choice. With one powerful energy blast, he shattered the stone into countless pieces that quickly scattered through the wind. Whether or not he was in the world between life and death didn't matter to him anymore…All that mattered was that he was here. And as the monument that had brought so much sorrow and grief to both Jean and Scott finally disappeared from existence…They both met in another passionate kiss. Yet in Scott's hands, he still held onto his ruby quartz glasses…Which would forever be a constant reminder of who he really was.

* * *

AN: The end. That's it folks! It's over! "Between Life and Death" is over! It's been down a road full of twists and turns, yet it has finally come to an end! Another story has ended and another message is clearly shown to all of those who choose to heed it. The turmoil, complications, and drama have finally come to and end with this fic and have left in wake a new beginning for each one of you to take with you as this story now lays completed. So what did you all think? Did you like this story? Was it a good read? Please tell me! I urge you all to send me your thoughts and feelings on this and all of my stories! Send them to me via email or by posting it on the fanfiction website! Either way is fine!

Also, don't think for a minute that I'm done my friends! I already have a brand new story in the works that I am very excited about! It is yet another X-men Evolution story, but it promises to be unlike any other ever written before! It will be my most ambitious story to date! I am very excited about it and I can't wait to get started on it! It is entitled "Sinister Soldiers" and it will include so many new things and I can't wait to see where it takes me! Stay tuned for this most epic fic my friends! It will be one to remember!

Well, I guess that's all I have to say for now. This fic is over and another story has made it from my mind into words. I can't thank you all enough for reading! It really means a lot to me! I had a wonderful time writing this story and from the bottom of my heart, this is slickboy444 saying peace and I wish you all the best!

A very special thanks to the following reviewers that helped inspire me: Agent-G, randommarvelfan, Ldypebsaby, GothikStrawberry, Telepathic Angel, Tim Digidestined of Loyalty, Prophet-Song, Diaz, Simba317, Doza, Howlerdrode, Strayphoenix, Reality Bender, Mark C, Aaron, Sprocket, Quillian, Jenskott, Wen1, X00001, The Uncanny R-man, and especially Heartsyhawk (you my friend, I can never thank enough!).

IT'S OVER! BUT YOU CAN STILL REVIEW! SO PLEASE REVIEW! THANKS FOR READING AND SEE YOU ALL NEXT TIME!

_Whether you're in a dream world or the real world…It's all up to you. You can make it in whatever way you desire…It all depends on the precious things you hold onto…And the faith you have in yourself._


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